BJP MP Tejasvi Surya attacked the Congress and Rahul Gandhi during a youth interaction programme at BVB College in Hubballi, Karnataka, on Tuesday. Addressing an event, ‘Prajaprabhutva Ulisi, Aarajakathe Alisi’ (Save Democracy Eradicate Anarchy), Surya said that Congress opposed SIR of electoral rolls and questioned their attitude towards parliamentary discussions.
The programme was part of the BJP’s outreach programme on democracy, electoral reforms and political accountability involving students and young people.
Tejasvi Surya Questions Congress Over Mock Parliament
In his speech, Surya criticized Congress for conducting a mock Parliament while the leaders of the party were not participating consistently in discussions in real Parliament.
He said Congress leaders avoided parliamentary proceedings and travelled abroad when Parliament was in session, but now they were organising mock parliamentary activities and giving speeches.
Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi, the BJP MP said Congress could have made him Prime Minister in the mock Parliament even though he was unlikely to become PM through the actual parliamentary process.
Surya also said that Congress had lost 98 elections under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. He alleged that the party was criticising electoral institutions because it was frustrated at repeated electoral losses.
These comments were part of his political attack on the Opposition and its campaign against the SIR exercise recently.
SIR Debate: Surya Defends Election Commission's Exercise
A major part of Surya’s speech was on SIR (Special Intensive Revision) of electoral rolls.
The BJP MP rejected the charge of the Congress that the ruling party was winning elections with the help of the Election Commission and said the SIR process had been carried out in the country many times before.
“There have been 12 elections of this kind in India. Ten of them were held when the Congress was in power at the Centre,” Surya said.
He also said the Congress had lost several elections even before the latest SIR exercise began. With these arguments, Surya was trying to counter Opposition criticism of the revision of the voter list.
The Congress has been critical of SIR and its implications for voters and the electoral process. The debate has become a political issue, with parties taking different stands on the exercise and the role of the Election Commission.
‘Ineligible Voters Should Not Be Allowed to Vote’
Surya also spoke about illegal immigration and electoral rights. Illegal immigrants should not be allowed to vote by casting votes, he said.
He said such people would not be allowed to vote as long as Narendra Modi was Prime Minister.
The BJP MP raised the issue in the context of protecting electoral integrity and ensuring that voting rights are exercised by eligible citizens.
BJP's Youth Outreach Programme in Karnataka
The Hubballi interaction is part of BJP’s overall campaign Save Democracy Eradicate Anarchy. The initiative seeks to reach out to college students, young professionals and other sections of society through discussions on democratic institutions and electoral processes.
The party had said that interactive programmes would be held at more than 500 places in Karnataka during the month-long outreach programme. Talks in colleges and interaction with young people from different professions are also part of it.
The campaign is likely to include topics such as the Election Commission, revision of the electoral roll, parliamentary functioning, democratic institutions and political accountability.
Political Debate Over Democracy and Electoral Reforms
Surya’s remarks in Hubballi reflect the political disagreement between BJP and Congress over SIR and the functioning of democratic institutions.
While BJP has defended the electoral roll revision exercise as necessary, Congress questioned its implementation and raised concerns about its implications.
The youth interaction gave a BJP MP a chance to tell students what his party’s position was and counter Opposition arguments.
Electoral reforms and the role of constitutional institutions are still important political issues and discussions like the Hubballi programme will keep them in focus across Karnataka.
Comments