Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday warned that Bihar could witness serious political unrest during the forthcoming Assembly elections, accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of planning to “steal” the mandate in several states.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Gandhi said growing anger on the ground in Bihar should serve as a warning to national political leaders. “I can see, there is a fire that is starting in Bihar. I am inviting all the senior leaders to come and see this fire because it cannot be stopped,” he said.
The Congress leader also alleged that the BJP had used various methods to manipulate electoral processes in the past. “They stole the Maharashtra, Haryana (elections)... They will steal elections in Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam. But now it seems that fire has spread in Bihar... You can see that there is a storm,” he said.
Referring to the ongoing debate over new bills introduced by the government in Parliament, Gandhi claimed that India was moving back towards a political system where elected representatives could be removed at will. “We are going back to medieval times when the king could just remove anybody at will. There’s no concept of what an elected person is. He doesn’t like your face, so he tells ED to put a case, and then a democratically elected person is wiped out within 30 days,” he said.
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Gandhi also voiced support for party colleague KC Venugopal, describing him as a champion of constitutional values and social justice. “There is a fight going on between those that are attacking the Constitution and those that are defending the Constitution,” he said.
According to Gandhi, Venugopal had been carrying a copy of the Constitution in his pocket for more than five decades. “He said, because, in any legal conversation, the Constitution has the final answer,” Gandhi told the media.
The Congress leader went on to question the circumstances surrounding the resignation of former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar, claiming there was “a big story” behind his sudden silence. “Why is the Vice President of India in a situation where he cannot say a word? Suddenly, the person who used to burst forth in the Rajya Sabha has gone silent, completely silent,” he remarked.
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