Rahul Gandhi questions India's democracy and Constitution, Cong need to introspect: MP BJP chief

Bhopal, Aug 13 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Hemant Khandelwal said on Wednesday that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "voter theft" allegations, which sparked a row across the country, "is a well planned conspiracy to raise questions on India's democracy and the Constitution".

Betul MLA Khandelwal, who was appointed as MP BJP Chief on July 2, talking to media persons, said that Congress should introspect on why Rahul Gandhi is deliberatly questioning the credibility of important institutions in the country.

"What Rahul Gandhi said is really a worry for all of us, but it is more worrying for the Congress. The grand-old party should introspect why their leader is questioning every important institutions of the country?" he told IANS during his visit to Betul.

Hitting at the Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, the BJP leader accused the Congress-led INDIA bloc of "disrespecting" voters' mandate in the country.

"People of the country have voted for BJP, Congress and many other political parties, therefore, people's mandate should be respected," Khandelwal added.

Rahul Gandhi and Congress have alleged that voters' lists in states where the party lost are corrupted, with voters' names deleted or included more than once to rig elections in favour of the BJP.

Opposition parties have also criticised the election panel's decision to revise the voters' list in the key northern state of Bihar just before state elections due later this year, saying it aims to disenfranchise large number of poor voters.

Extending support to Rahul Gandhi's allegations, Madhya Pradesh Congress unit led by party chief Jitu Patwari has also launched state-wide protests.

Once such protest was organised in Rewa on Tuesday and Congress leaders will also hold a protest in Bhopal and Gwalior.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has said that changes in voters' lists are shared with political parties and all complaints are investigated thoroughly.

It has also added that voters' lists need to be revised to remove deceased voters or those who have relocated to other parts of the country, among others.

--IANS

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