Hitting back at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for his comments on EVMs, BJP president Amit Shah said the alliance leader was making such comments as he had foreseen his defeat in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.
Earlier in the day, Akhilesh had alleged that EVMs were malfunctioning or voting for the BJP across the country and termed it a ‘criminal negligence’.
Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal formed a pre-poll alliance in UP.
“Earlier, Rahul Baba and company and the alliance leaders used to raise questions over the EVMs after losing elections. But now they are seeing their defeat in advance,” Shah said at a press conference in Varanasi.
“When the Congress won assembly polls in three states, Akhileshji went there and got his photographs clicked. The same EVMs were used for the voting in those states. When they win election, they say EVMs are okay and when they lose elections, they say EVMs are not okay,” he stated.
On Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s allegation of a scam in the Rafale deal, Shah said, “The allegations are false. There is not a scam even worth 25 paisa in the Rafale deal.”
{{/usCountry}}On Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s allegation of a scam in the Rafale deal, Shah said, “The allegations are false. There is not a scam even worth 25 paisa in the Rafale deal.”
{{/usCountry}}The BJP chief said the Congress leaders were levelling false allegations as they did not have any real issues.
Hitting back at Congress president Rahul Gandhi for calling him a ‘murder accused’, Shah asserted that the court had already delivered its judgment in the ‘politically-motivated’ case.
In December 2014, a special CBI court had discharged Shah from both Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Tulsiram Prajapati fake encounter cases citing lack of evidence.
On PM Narendra Modi saying in rallies that those involved in corruption and scams would be sent to jail if the BJP-led NDA retains power at the Centre indicated political oppression post election, Shah said, “Not at all. I want to say that those involved in Rs 12 lakh crore scam will not be spared. Their place is behind bars.”
“Had there been any political harassment, they would have been behind the bars. A probe is on. I want to clarify that those involved in scams will have to face action,” the BJP chief added.
On the BJP ally Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party fielding its candidate on several seats in eastern UP, Shah said, “Every party has the right to field its candidates. Public will decide.”
Defending BJP leader Pragya Thakur, he claimed she was framed in a fake case. No allegations were proved against her, he added.
Shah further said Congress president Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the nation before his party defamed the culture of the country by coining the term ‘Hindu terror’.
The BJP chief said NDA leaders, including Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, Prakash Singh Badal of the Akali Dal and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will be present during the filing of nomination by PM Narendra Modi. The PM would file his papers at 11:30 am on April 26, he added.