Wherever Congress loses, it cries foul over EVMs: Punjab BJP

Punjab BJP organised a "Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao" (save democracy, remove anarchy) padyatra march on Friday here, saying wherever the Congress loses, it cries foul over EVMs.

Addressing a gathering, Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon said the country was moving steadily towards progress under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, opposition parties were unable to digest this progress and were trying to confuse the public by questioning constitutional institutions, he said.

Dhillon said Congress is adopting double standards. "Whenever Congress wins in a state, it has no objections to the democratic process or the functioning of EVMs. However, wherever it loses, its leaders start raising allegations of EVM manipulation and vote theft," the BJP leader said.

He said people's mandate must be respected, and describing an electoral defeat as vote theft insults democracy and voters' decisions. Blaming EVMs for electoral defeats is no way to earn public trust, he said, targeting Congress.

Dhillon defends SIR, questions opposition's stand

He said the objective of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is to update these rolls. As part of the exercise, records relating to duplicate entries, deceased voters and individuals who cannot be traced at their registered addresses are being verified, he said, adding that protecting eligible citizens' voting rights is the Election Commission's responsibility. He said Congress and other opposition parties were unnecessarily politicising the SIR issue.

Dhillon said BJP leaders remained accessible to the people and were actively addressing their concerns. The BJP leader said Congress had suffered defeats in the recently held Legislative Council (MLC) elections in states including Bihar and Karnataka. He said these elections were conducted using ballot papers. Karnataka, in particular, has a Congress-led government, he said. He challenged Congress to explain where EVMs or SIR figured in these elections.

BJP attacks AAP government over alleged poll irregularities

Launching a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, Dhillon said while Arvind Kejriwal was making statements about vote theft in Delhi, he remained silent about the alleged electoral irregularities that took place in Punjab under his party's government.

He alleged that during previous Municipal Corporation and Municipal Council elections, several incidents had come to light involving the snatching and tearing of nomination papers belonging to opposition candidates, intimidation of candidates and even physical assaults.

Such incidents, he said, raised serious questions about the fairness and impartiality of the electoral process. Dhillon said drug abuse, murders, extortion and other criminal activities had created an atmosphere of fear among the people of Punjab.

Kejriwal's "silence" on serious cases, including the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa, raised several questions, he said. The BJP leader said Punjab needed a government that prioritised public safety, the future of its youth, a drug-free society and the overall development of the state.

BJP leaders attend padyatra

BJP Punjab in-charge Satish Poonia, Rajya Sabha MP and Punjab BJP co-in-charge Alka Gurjar, former state president Sunil Jakhar, former Lok Sabha MP Preneet Kaur, BJP Mahila Morcha state president Jainder Kaur, and other leaders were present at the event.