The BJP on Thursday came down heavily on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his allegations of poll fraud against the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The BJP said that it was a "calculated deceit" and accused the Congress of "systematically" attacking the constitutional institutions under a larger conspiracy against India's democracy and the Constitution.
BJP MP and former minister Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Gandhi of insulting the "discerning decision" of the people of the country by calling its election victory a "fraud" and said the voters will continue to reject the Congress for such "irresponsible and shameless" character and conduct.
The BJP's reaction came after the Gandhi made claims regarding voter data in a constituency in Karnataka.
He said an analysis of the data showed that elections were rigged by the ECI at the behest of the BJP to help the saffron party "steal" votes and win the seat in the 2024 General Election.
Gandhi has further made allegations against the poll panel out of "frustration and anger" because people are not giving their mandate to the Congress, the BJP charged as it slammed the Congress leader for adopting "double standards" over the election results and asked him to understand that his family's victory is not the definition of democracy.
There is a huge "criminal fraud" being perpetrated across the country by the ECI and the "party in power", the Congress leader charged, in an apparent reference to the BJP.
Condemning the Congress leader's remarks, Prasad said, "Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition, has made irresponsible and shameless comments," adding, "People will not vote for you (Congress) due to such behaviour, character and conduct," he said.
Terming the ECI as a fraud, Gandhi has crossed all limits of "shamelessness", the BJP leader charged. "Narendra Modiji has been winning elections since 2015, and you (Rahul Gandhi) are calling that also a fraud. You are insulting the people of the country who voted for Modiji for his work, honesty and progress of the country under his leadership," Prasad told reporters at the Parliament House complex.
"You keep roaming across the country to get bail in defamation cases and you call somebody a fraud. I strongly condemn Rahul Gandhi for his utterances. He is irresponsible and does not know what to speak, even about the constitutional body," the senior BJP leader added.
Prasad said that Gandhi was attacking the EC out of "frustration and anger" because people are not giving their mandate to the Congress and will continue to do so after his brazen allegations against the poll panel.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also accused Gandhi of insulting the "discerning decision" of the people by attacking the Election Commission. In a post on X, Pradhan said, "'Bayan bahadur' Rahul Gandhi has completely lost his composure in the agony of losing power."
"The ideologically hollow Congress party is systematically attacking constitutional institutions. It cannot be ruled out that there is a larger conspiracy against India's democracy and Constitution behind this calculated deceit," the senior BJP leader said in a post on X adding, "After all, their family's history is also filled with the dark chapter of the Emergency," he added.
Pradhan slammed Gandhi for adopting "double standards" on the poll outcomes. "This double standard will no longer work — praising the Election Commission when victorious and calling it biased when defeated," he said.
Rahul Gandhi needs to understand that his family's victory is not the definition of democracy, he added. "Where was Rahul Gandhi when the Election Commission invited every party to file complaints regarding SIR in Bihar?" Pradhan asked, adding, "Neither Congress nor any party from the INDI alliance approached the Election Commission at that time." People of Bihar are now ready to give a befitting reply to "such opponents" of democracy and the Constitution, Pradhan said.