'BJP protecting Gyanesh Kumar': Priyanka Gandhi says INDIA Bloc united on ECI row

Malappuram: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday accused the BJP leadership of "shielding" Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, claiming that someone can't commit crimes against democracy "without support of the leadership".

Vadra also said the INDIA Bloc parties are united over the allegations against the Election Commission of India.

Vadra's remarks come days after a media report claimed differences within the poll panel, with decisions being taken allegedly without the knowledge of the two Election Commissioners.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to Kerala's Malappuram, Vadra said: "The INDIA alliance is very clear. Every single leader of the alliance, every single party is in full agreement that what is going on is absolutely illegal, anti-constitutional, and against our nation and democracy. Those who are doing it have to be taken to task. They have to be held responsible."

"I strongly believe that the legal safeguards provided to the Election Commissioner, which this BJP-led government instituted, need to be removed. If anybody is committing illegal acts against our nation, against this Constitution, they need to be tried," she added.

Meanwhile, the INDIA Bloc parties are likely to meet on September 30 over the ECI dissent row and other issues.

Accusing CEC Gyanesh Kumar of committing "treason", the Congress MP added: "He needs to be tried for treason."

"The BJP is protecting the Chief Election Commissioner, but importantly, they are protecting their leadership. If the CEC is committing such a serious crime against democracy, it is practically impossible that he is doing it without the full support of the leadership," Priyanka Gandhi Vadra claimed.

Echoing the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi's demand, she too sought CEC Kumar's resignation.

Moreover, Vadra reiterated her previous allegation against the BJP, calling the party "overconfident".

"People have seen their (BJP's) overconfident statements before every election, predicting the exact number of seats they're going to get. Where are they getting that overconfidence from? The people of India are not that happy with them...What you hear on the ground from people is something, and what you're seeing as the election result is something else," she claimed.

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