The ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ (rally for voters’ rights) is a crucial milestone in the country’s fight against “vote theft” and Bihar will show India the way on how to defeat the BJP’s nefarious agenda, says Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal. In an interview after taking part in a massive public meeting held at Muzaffarpur on Wednesday, Mr. Venugopal said the Election Commission seemed to be taking step after step to destroy its own credibility. Excerpts:
What is your take on the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’?
It has been a phenomenal public movement across Bihar. The Tughlaqi SIR [Special Intensive Revision] exercise started by the EC [Election Commission] under the BJP’s directions has caused widespread havoc in Bihar. Conducting this SIR three months before elections in such a rushed manner, without allowing Aadhar and ration card as valid proof, and during floods, has spread panic in a society that is already living in very difficult circumstances. The yatra is a lifeline for the people of Bihar who were lost and confused about the future of democracy in Bihar.
How do you see Tejaswi Yadav leading the coordination committee of the INDIA bloc in Bihar?
RJD [Rashtriya Janata Dal] is a crucial pillar of our INDIA bloc, especially in Bihar and Tejashwi Yadav has been the Deputy Chief Minister in the past, and is a dynamic, charismatic youth leader. As part of our election preparations, it is natural that a leader with experience in top levels of government is given important responsibilities. Tejashwi ji, along with our State leadership, Left parties and VIP [Vikassheel Insaan Party] are working unitedly and expanding the INDIA bloc’s political footprint.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is saying Rahul Gandhi is misleading the people in the name of SIR and wants to allow infiltrators to vote.
I challenge the BJP to give a list of ‘infiltrators’ they have identified through this SIR. The talk of ‘infiltrators’ is the typical polarisation bogey of the BJP, when they run out of ideas. The truth is, the BJP/NDA [National Democratic Alliance] is highly unpopular, with record migration out of Bihar, their complete failure to address extreme poverty, a completely collapsed health and education system, and murders happening in broad daylight. When they have no answers to these grave issues, they bring up the ‘infiltration’ issue to distract and divert attention.
Why do you think that the EC, which is a constitutional body, has failed to uphold transparency?
The EC’s conduct over the last many years has been unbecoming of a constitutional body that must maintain neutrality and objectivity in its conduct. For many years, we have been demanding transparency regarding the voter rolls process, EVMs, and even the manner in which decisions regarding Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violations are taken. The EC’s approach has been dismissive and combative against the Opposition. Why did the EC refuse to disclose the names of 65 lakh voters struck off during the SIR process? Don’t the people have a right to know if, and why, their name has been struck off the electoral rolls? When Rahul Gandhi ji made such damning revelations about vote theft in Mahadevapura, the EC sought an affidavit, instead of taking up the issue and doing a thorough inquiry on its own. That shows their true intention. It is unfortunate that a constitutional body that once enjoyed trust across political lines is now acting like a BJP agent.
Amit Shah has raised questions on the moral stance of the Congress, asking why Rahul Gandhi tore the Ordinance brought by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that sought to overturn a Supreme Court order on disqualification of convicted lawmakers…
Union Home Minister Amit Shah who was excommunicated from Gujarat for his acts as Gujarat Home Minister should be the last person to give lessons on morality. During the UPA [United Progressive Alliance] regime, Rahul ji took a principled stance that if a politician is convicted, after due judicial process, they should not be allowed to hold office. The 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill has no due process whatsoever. If the ED or CBI one day wakes up and arrests a CM and keeps them in jail for 30 days, the BJP gets a window to topple an elected State government. We know the BJP’s track record of hounding and targeting Opposition leaders. 98% of ED’s cases involving politicians are against Opposition leaders with an abysmal conviction rate. This shows that the Home Minister’s true intentions with this Bill are not moral but political. This is a Damocles’ sword constantly hanging over not only the Opposition but all the alliance partners of the BJP, including Nitish Kumar ji and Chandrababu Naidu ji. Toe the line or else…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi always launches an attack on dynasty politics in Congress. What is your take?
This is yet another stale idea that the PM and BJP resort to when they run out of issues to speak about. The contributions of Nehru ji, Indira ji, Rajiv ji, Sonia ji to India’s post-Independence journey, going from a poor post-colonial country to a major superpower is for all to see, no matter the BJP’s fake news and propaganda. Today, the PM’s problem with Rahul ji is not that he comes from a political lineage, but that he stands against the BJP’s divisive ideology, crony capitalist policies and their relentless efforts to destroy the Constitution. If the PM is serious about eradicating dynastic politics, he should start by addressing it in his own party from Karnataka to Madhya Pradesh to Rajasthan to Uttar Pradesh, his own party is filled with dynasts.
What is your prediction for the Bihar election as far as the performance of the INDIA bloc is concerned?
The people of Bihar are eagerly waiting for a chance to throw the NDA out. The INDIA bloc is united, marching on, and growing from strength to strength. Across caste and religious lines, Bihar is consolidating behind the INDIA bloc. Wait and watch, Bihar will script history in this election and bring INDIA to power with a historic mandate. The echoes of this result will be heard across the country and will have widespread ramifications that will be seen in Delhi and other parts of the country as well.