Congress Pickets Outside EC Office, Calls it “PM Modi’s Puppet”

The Congress on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission, accusing it of acting like a "captive puppet" of the BJP, and not taking action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who held what it called a roadshow in Gujarat.

In a no-holds-barred attack on Chief Election Commissioner AK Joti, the Congress alleged he was behaving like Modi's principal secretary and said the poll body had prostrated itself before the government.

Addressing a joint press conference, Congress general secretary in-charge of Gujarat Ashok Gehlot, and communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala, alleged that a "desperate prime minister facing defeat in Gujarat" held a roadshow with BJP flags and flouted the Constitution and the poll code of conduct.

The EC was acting like a frontal organisation of the BJP, and had abdicated its constitutional responsibility by not moving against Modi, they said.

It should be "ashamed" of itself for not maintaining neutrality in the ongoing polls, the Congress leaders added.

The Election Commission has become a captive puppet of Narendra Modi and the BJP. Unfortunately, the Chief Election Commissioner has abdicated his Constitutional responsibility

Randeep Surjewala, Spokesperson, Congress

He claimed that Modi, facing imminent defeat in the Assembly polls, had latched on to the "last straw", the EC, to violate the Constitution and code of conduct, "in complicity and cahoots" with the Election Commission of India.

"A meek Election Commission is prostrating before the government and the prime minister, refusing to act till the conclusion of the voting, and that is the entire game plan and the conspiracy," he said.

Surjewala said the EC can register an FIR against news channels and newspapers based on a complaint filed by the BJP within 30 minutes, but not act against the prime minister, BJP chief Amit Shah and Union ministers.

Video Editor:Vivek Gupta