Even as polling ended in Gujarat, the Congress and the BJP continued their face-off on Thursday. The Congress unleashed a severe attack on the Election Commission accusing it of being a “captive puppet” of the BJP and the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of “still working as Modi's PS (Private Secretary)”, by not taking action against the Prime Minister who, the Opposition party alleged, conducted a roadshow in Gujarat after casting his ballot.
The Congress wrote a strongly-worded letter to the CEC demanding registration of FIR against the PM for violating the model code of conduct and even gheraoed the poll panel's headquarters. The BJP also approached the EC officials to counter Congress' charges. The Opposition parties too, meanwhile, criticised the PM for the alleged violation of model code and the EC for its alleged inaction.
The BJP lashed out at the Congress saying the Opposition party was looking for excuses before its impending defeat in the Gujarat polls. A party delegation, which included Cabinet Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi among others, also met the Election Commission to refute the charges levelled by the Congress against Prime Minister Modi and other leaders.
Though the delegation submitted a memorandum to the EC where they accused the Opposition party of misleading the poll watchdog and called the attack on it “unfortunate”. BJP spokesperson GVl Narasimhra Rao launched a sharp attack on the Congress, saying its “dynastic arrogance” was on display in its attack on the EC.
Earlier, mincing no words, Congress' chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said while the CEC AK Joti may have been Principal Secretary to the present Prime Minister and served as a civil servant in Gujarat, as a constitutional functionary it was expected that he and other Election Commissioners would act with neutrality and as an unbiased arbiter. Joti was Principal Secretary and Chief Secretary in Gujarat when Narendra Modi was Chief Minister. Surjewala said the CEC was still functioning as Modi's PS.
“A desperate Prime Minister facing defeat in Gujarat holds a roadshow with BJP flags, flagrantly flouts the Constitution and the code of conduct. A puppet Election Commission looks on with complicity denigrating its role of an independent arbiter,” he said.
Surjewala said the EC can register an FIR against news channels and newspapers based on a complaint filed by the BJP within 30 minutes but not act against the prime minister, BJP chief Amit Shah and Union ministers.
“The Ministers, the PMO and the Chief Minister were calling TV channels, threatening them that they would be all sent to jail. It is a sad letter day for India. The ECI has denigrated the Constitution and abdicated its responsibility,” he added. The Congres demanded that if EC was concerned about its dignity, it should act against the Prime Minister.
Opposition leaders, including those from the Congress, NCP, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Samajwadi Party (SP), RJD, National Conference and the left parties, who met on the eve of the Winter Session of Parliament to discuss key issues to be raised in Parliament, said: “This attitude of the EC has cast ominous shadow on the credibility of the EC and the integrity of the electoral process.”