Laxman accuses Congress of shielding bogus votes

Hyderabad: BJP Rajya Sabha MP and Parliamentary Board member Dr K Laxman on Friday questioned whether an “RR Constitution” governs MLA defections in Telangana, while criticising the Congress-led “Save Democracy March” against the Election Commission.

Paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on their birth anniversaries, Laxman accused the Congress and INDIA bloc of double standards. He said their nationwide protest was not a “Save Democracy March” but a “Save Dynasty March” aimed at protecting political families. The INDIA bloc has announced protests over the Election Commission and electoral-roll revision.

Laxman alleged that Congress leaders were unable to accept electoral defeats and were therefore raising allegations of “vote theft” and EVM tampering. He also criticised the party’s opposition to the cleansing of electoral rolls, alleging that it was protecting bogus votes and supporting the Majlis party.

He questioned the Congress demand to defer electoral-roll purification and said the party had failed to submit evidence to substantiate its allegations. He also questioned the demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, recalling the Emergency period and Congress’s past record.

Turning to Telangana, Laxman accused the Congress government of undermining democratic principles by inducting BRS MLAs into the ruling party. He asked whether Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy were running an “RR Constitution” in the State.

Laxman also criticised Rahul Gandhi’s opposition to EVMs, noting that EVMs were introduced during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure. He said Congress was attempting to revive the era of booth capturing and rigging associated with ballot-paper elections.

Telangana’s SIR process is currently underway, with claims and objections continuing and the final electoral rolls scheduled for November 9.

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