New Delhi, Dec 26, 2024
As the AAP warned the Congress of expulsion from the INDIA bloc unless it takes action against senior leader Ajay Maken for his remarks against former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, BJP leader Rohan Gupta on Thursday slammed Congress for its repeated blaming EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) for its electoral defeats, urging the party to introspect instead.
Speaking with IANS, Gupta slammed Congress for its failure to understand the pulse of the nation.
“The whole country knows the reason behind the defeat of Congress, except them. Now, leaders of the INDIA bloc have said such things against their member. I want to say this is the truth,” Gupta said, adding that Congress’s habitual blaming of EVMs for its losses was a sign of its detachment from the reality of public sentiment.
“The Congress has completely lost the trust of the people. Instead of accepting responsibility, they blame EVMs,” he continued.
He further pointed out that Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had also advised against blaming EVMs, urging the Congress to acknowledge why the public had lost faith in them.
“It would be better if they accept their defeat. And work on their shortcomings if they really want to win in the polls. Abdullah also urged Congress to stop making remarks on the functionality of EVMs,” he stated.
Gupta further accused both AAP and Congress of misleading voters in the Lok Sabha elections in the name of the INDIA bloc.
“The people of Delhi have been cheated in the name of the INDIA bloc. They fought together in the Lok Sabha elections, yet now they are exposing each other as corrupt. I want to ask about their ideology,” he said.
The BJP leader further claimed that the people of Delhi will make them both lose in the forthcoming Assembly polls.
“Delhi is the heart of the country, and its people will give both parties a fitting response by making us win in the Assembly polls,” he declared.
Meanwhile, the AAP’s frustration with the Congress stems from several recent developments. A complaint filed by the Youth Congress accused Kejriwal of misleading the public with false welfare promises like the Mahila Samman Yojana and Sanjeevani Yojana, which government departments confirmed as non-existent.
Adding fuel to the fire, Congress leader Ajay Maken’s remarks on the party’s decline in Delhi – blaming it on the 2013 decision to support AAP – did not sit well with AAP leaders. Maken also reportedly labelled Kejriwal as “anti-national.”
In a heated press conference, AAP MP Sanjay Singh demanded swift action from Congress, warning that if no action was taken against Maken within 24 hours, the AAP would consult the INDIA bloc to consider removing Congress. “Ajay Maken is reading from the BJP’s script,” Singh declared, flanked by Delhi Chief Minister Atishi.
Gupta also reacted on the return of Salman Rushdie’s banned book The Satanic Verses, asserting that there should be no restrictions on truth.
“The truth should come to light without any appeasement. The public should decide what is right and wrong,” Gupta said.(Agency)
