Rijiju hits back: With no issue left in Bihar, Rahul Gandhi now spinning Haryana story
New Delhi, Nov 5: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday launched a fresh attack on the…
New Delhi, Nov 5: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday launched a fresh attack on the Election Commission and the BJP, alleging large-scale voter fraud through a presentation titled ‘H Files’.
He displayed the image of a “mystery girl,” claiming the woman had voted 22 times under different names at separate polling booths in Haryana. Gandhi levelled several other allegations related to voter manipulation.
Responding to the accusations, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju hit back, saying that even Congress leaders had accepted their defeat in Haryana. “During the Haryana elections, senior Congress leader Kumari Selja herself said that the Congress would not win because their own leaders were working against the party. Later, a former Congress minister resigned and admitted that Congress lost because its leaders were not active on the ground,” Rijiju said.
He added, “The state Congress president, Rao Narendra Singh, also acknowledged that there was no coordination within the party at the grassroots level. When their own leaders admit defeat, how can Rahul Gandhi now claim that Congress lost due to voter fraud? Who in the world will believe that?”
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‘Rahul Trying to Divert Attention Before Bihar Polls’
Rijiju accused Rahul Gandhi of holding the press conference merely to divert attention ahead of the Bihar elections. “Two days before voting in Bihar, Rahul Gandhi is talking about Haryana. It clearly shows that the Congress has no real issue in Bihar, so they have fabricated the Haryana story to distract the public,” he remarked.
He further pointed out that Rahul Gandhi referred to exit polls showing Congress winning in Haryana, but reminded him that exit and opinion polls in 2004 had predicted a BJP-led NDA victory. “When the actual results came, the NDA lost, and we accepted the verdict gracefully and congratulated the UPA. But we never abused the Election Commission,” Rijiju said.
“In a democracy, you must accept both victory and defeat. When exit polls favour Congress, they celebrate; when they don’t, they attack the media and the Election Commission,” he added.
‘Youth Stand with Modi, Not Misled by Congress’
Taking a dig at Rahul’s appeal to Gen Z voters, Rijiju said, “Rahul talks about provoking Gen Z, but our youth are intelligent. India’s young generation stands firmly with Prime Minister Modi. While the world faces economic slowdown, India remains the fastest-growing major economy with a growth rate above 7%.”
He accused Rahul Gandhi of trying to “defame India” and “collaborate with anti-national forces.” “Rahul Gandhi is playing a dangerous game to malign the country. His efforts to mislead the youth and harm India’s image will never succeed,” Rijiju asserted.
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‘Congress Misused Institutions, We Never Did’
Rijiju also drew comparisons between the Congress era and the present system, saying that during Congress rule, all judicial and institutional appointments were made directly by the government. “When we were in the opposition, judges were appointed by the government. Today, appointments are made by the collegium system. During the Congress era, even the Election Commission, CBI director, and other key positions were government-appointed. But we never misused the courts or institutions,” he said.
He emphasized that the BJP had never undermined democratic processes or misused the Election Commission. “If any mistakes occur, we approach the courts and follow due process. But we never insult our democracy. These people, however, go abroad and badmouth India’s institutions,” Rijiju said.
Questioning the Congress’s narrative, Rijiju asked, “If the system is so flawed, how did Congress come to power in Telangana, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab, or how did the Aam Aadmi Party win in Tamil Nadu and Kerala? The opposition has won many times — did we ever question the system then?”
