BJP dares Congress leaders to resign on EVM issue

BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia defended the credibility of the electoral process, pointing out that the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) has a 100 per cent record in matching votes cast on EVMs. Pic/PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday hit back at the Congress for questioning the electoral process, including the integrity of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). According to news agency PTI, the party stated that Congress chief ministers (CM) and other elected representatives, including Rahul Gandhi, should first resign and announce that they would only contest elections once ballot papers are reinstated.

BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia told reporters that such a stance would demonstrate their trust in the issues they have raised. "Otherwise, their allegations will be nothing but empty words," he said.

According to PTI, Bhatia also suggested that the Supreme Court had repeatedly endorsed the transparency of the electoral process and the integrity of EVMs. He argued that Congress CMs, Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should step down, as they were elected through the same electoral process the opposition party is now questioning.

"It is ironic that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge questioned EVMs on the day Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took oath as a Lok Sabha MP (Member of Parliament)," Bhatia remarked.

He further defended the credibility of the electoral process, pointing out that the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) has a 100 per cent record in matching votes cast on EVMs.

Bhatia added, "You want elections on ballot papers. First of all, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, (Himachal Pradesh CM) Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, (Telangana CM) Revanth Reddy, and (Karnataka CM) Siddaramaiah should resign. They should say they were elected through EVMs, which are full of scandals, and that they will not take part in the electoral process until ballot papers are introduced."

According to PTI, he then predicted that the Congress would soon be relegated to "the pages of history books."

Speaking on the issue of violence against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, Bhatia reiterated the Central Government's firm stance and expressed confidence that India's strong voice would not be ignored. "As the biggest democracy in the world, it is India's duty to raise its voice when minorities are facing harassment anywhere," he said.

Bhatia also targeted Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav, accusing him of acting as a shield for rioters. He alleged that members of SP, including its MPs, were involved in instigating violence rather than working to restore peace.

Criticising SP, Bhatia claimed that riots frequently broke out during its rule in Uttar Pradesh, and accused the opposition party of lacking faith in the police.

Bhatia's remarks followed accusations from Yadav, who had alleged that BJP was behind the violence in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, where protesters opposing a court-ordered survey of a mosque clashed with police last Sunday.

(With PTI inputs)