Dharmendra Pradhan blasts Congress, INDIA Bloc; accuses it of 'defaming' democracy

New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday launched a scathing critique of the Congress party and INDIA Bloc over alleged attempts to defame democracy and accused them of inventing ‘ways and means' to spread 'anarchy' in the country.

Addressing a Press conference at BJP headquarters, the Union Minister said that the country’s democratic institutions are under attack by Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi's party Congress, and claimed that this is part of the Opposition's ploy to bring a bad name to the nation and give India’s enemies a chance to 'humiliate' us.

“The INDIA Bloc and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are constantly complaining about the subversion of the Constitution and democratic norms. But, the biggest threat to constitutional ethos is posed by none other than them. The nation is watching them,” he said.

The BJP MP further claimed that the Congress party has become ideologically directionless and is caught up in dilemma today and hence they are relentlessly targeting constitutional bodies.

“Earlier, Congress and others questioned Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Now, they are protesting against SIR and questioning the integrity of elections, including in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Karnataka. This is their strategy to spread canards and create chaos,” he said.

He further said that because of repeated defeats in Parliamentary as well as Assembly elections, the Congress has reached a state of bankruptcy.

“It has no policy, no strategy and is just behaving like a reactionary force. There has never been a precedent in the history since Independence, that Supreme Court has used such harsh words for any political leader,” he said in searing remarks.

Pradhan further claimed that questioning SIR was a clearly devised plan of the Congress-led Opposition to 'spread anarchy'.

“If you win elections, all is okay but if you lose, you start whining. I credit the media for fact-checking LoP Rahul’s lies in the past few days,” he professed.

He further said that when the Congress and its allies are shown the mirror with facts, they use intimidatory tactics and even threaten the poll panel with an ‘atom bomb’ of a revelation.

Such language by the LoP is the language of the country’s enemies who want our economy and democracy derailed, he added.

“I appeal to all the Opposition parties to act in national interest and play the role of a constructive Opposition rather than playing to the gallery and refrain from issues, which in turn give India’s enemies a chance to take advantage over us,” he further said.

“Those who walk with a Constitution book in their hands, do they want to destroy the entire democratic fabric,” he asked.

Replying to questions on LoP Gandhi’s explosive charges of vote fraud by the EC, Pradhan said that had he got any evidence about alleged manipulation and "vote chori", he should have filed an affidavit and sought a detailed investigation, rather than trying to spread anarchy and disorder with baseless and unsubstantiated charges.

--IANS

mr/rad