Weakening constitutional institutions is in its DNA: Shivraj

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, while asserting that "One Citizen, One Vote" is the foundation of fair elections, stated that disrespecting the mandate after losing an election is an old habit of the Congress party.

In a statement released on the social media platform 'X' on Sunday, Mr. Chouhan targeted Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge for criticizing the Election Commission over the issue of fraud in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He said, "Disrespecting the mandate after losing is an old habit of the Congress. Discrediting the Election Commission and weakening constitutional institutions is in the DNA of the Congress."

He asked, "Is the Election Commission correct when the Congress wins and wrong when it loses?" He questioned how the Congress won elections in Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal. Raising questions about the Congress's demand for elections to be held via ballot papers, he asked, "Does the Congress want to take the country back to the 1980s and 1990s through this demand?"

He said, "Now they are talking about holding elections with ballot papers. Remember the 1980s and 1990s, when ballot boxes were looted and a single person would stamp the ballot papers. Does the Congress want to take the country back to that era?"

He stated that technology has brought transparency to elections, so why does the Congress want to oppose it? He further added that the Congress has previously weakened democracy by imposing Emergency in the country and is now playing a dangerous game of weakening constitutional institutions.

The Union Minister of Agriculture said, "Institutions are wrong, the system is wrong, destroy everything, make the country insecure—this is a sin, and the Congress is eager to commit this sin, but the impure intentions and plans of the Congress will never succeed." He said, "One Citizen, One Vote is the foundation of fair elections. A complete revision of the voter list increases transparency in elections and restores public trust."

Attacking Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Mr. Kharge, he said that Mr. Kharge, on the instructions of Mr. Gandhi, called the Prime Minister and the Home Minister 'illegal.' This is a disrespect to democracy and the people's decision. It weakens constitutional institutions, creates distrust in democracy, and attempts to spread anarchy across the country. What kind of rhetoric is the Congress engaging in?