Amid the row over the voter theft allegations, CPM MP John Brittas on Monday alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) has effectively declared a “war on Opposition parties.”
The Opposition leader also accused the poll panel of shredding its neutrality and acting as the B-team of the ruling government.
“It seems the CEC has declared war on Opposition parties. The Election Commission today behaves like it’s the government’s B-team,” said Brittas from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPM during a joint press conference held by leaders of several Opposition groups.
'CEC is the biggest enemy of poll panel': Oppn hits out at Gyanesh Kumar | Updates
Speaking at the presser, the opposition leaders from Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, TMC and others have once again questioned the Election Commission and its proceedings.
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi accused the Election Commission of being “in hands of officers who are taking sides” and claimed that the poll body was not probing any charges made by Opposition.
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{{/usCountry}}Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra also accused the poll body of dereliction of duty.
She further said that the issue of duplicate EPIC voter cards was raised by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, but has not resolved yet. Moitra also called for action against "past ECs for fraudulent voter lists" and to "dissolve the Lok Sabha immediately".
India bloc leaders' protest CEC's remarks
The INDIA bloc leaders' remarks came after CEC Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday hit out at the opposition and accused the parties spreading misinformation and lies.
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"When politics is being done by targeting the voters of India by keeping a gun on the shoulder of the Election Commission, today the Election Commission wants to make it clear to everyone that it fearlessly stood like a rock with all the voters of all sections and all religions including the poor, rich, elderly, women, youth without any discrimination,” said Gyanesh Kumar.
EC should first give affidavit that voter list is clean: Congress
Meanwhile, the Congress, which is carrying out a Voter Adhikar Yatra hit back at CEC Gyanesh Kumar, saying that first the poll body should submit an affidavit in the Supreme Court that its voter list is clean and then it will also give an affidavit that there are irregularities in the existing list.
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The opposition party also alleged that Gyanesh Kumar sounded like a "BJP spokesperson" during his press conference in New Delhi.
The Congress made the remarks a day after the CEC served a seven-day ultimatum on party leader Rahul Gandhi to submit a signed affidavit to back his claims, else his allegations will be considered baseless and invalid.
(with PTI inputs)