Lok Sabha Elections 2024: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has urged the Election Commission to take stern action against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his "match-fixing" remarks during an I.N.D.I.A bloc rally. A delegation led by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and BJP's national general secretary Arun Kumar lodged a complaint against Gandhi with the poll panel.
Rahul Gandhi's remarks "extremely objectionable"
Puri, addressing the media after the meeting with Election Commission officials, criticised Gandhi's remarks during the public meeting, labelling them as "extremely objectionable" and in violation of the model code of conduct. He highlighted Gandhi's statements alleging a "fixed match" in the Lok Sabha polls, questioning the credibility of the Election Commission, and casting doubts on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). "Addressing the public meeting yesterday, Rahul Gandhi said this (Lok Sabha polls) is a fixed match. He also said that the Central government has deployed its people in the Election Commission. He also raised questions on the credibility of the EVMs and said the Constitution will be cancelled (changed) after elections," he told reporters.
Puri emphasised the seriousness of such remarks and urged the Election Commission to take the strictest action against Gandhi, along with other Congress and those of the opposition's INDI alliance. Kumar accused Gandhi of repeatedly making such comments and said the Election Commission should consider censuring him from speaking during the Lok Sabha elections as the Congress leader would not stop making such remarks.
'BJP's match-fixing succeeds, constitution will be destroyed': Rahul Gandhi
In a scathing attack on the BJP, Congress MP accused the ruling party of engaging in "match-fixing." Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appointed "umpires" to ensure the BJP's victory by surpassing the 400-seat mark in the upcoming elections.
"When pressure is put on umpires and captain, players are bought off and the match is won, in cricket, it is called match-fixing. We have Lok Sabha polls before us. Who selected the umpires? Before the match started, two players were arrested. Narendra Modi is trying to do match-fixing in these polls," Gandhi said.
The BJP is raising the slogan of getting 400 seats, but without EVMs, "match-fixing", pressuring media and buying them, they will not be able to reach even 180 seats, he claimed.
(With PTI inputs)
