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Stepping up his attack on the Centre, Congress MP and party spokesperson Pawan Khera on Tuesday launched a sharp retort to Union Minister Piyush Goyal, questioning the unprecedented nature of the ongoing protests against the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Khera sought to highlight the gravity of the current political standoff, questioning whether any Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) in the countrys history had ever faced such widespread public and institutional dissent. Talking to ANI in the national capital here, Khera questioned the legitimacy of the current election management, citing the widespread protests as a reflection of deep-seated public dissatisfaction. "Did any Election Commissioner ever oppose one of our Chief Election Commissioners? Did a mob ever take to the streets against any CEC? Did the entire opposition ever march on foot to the Supreme Court to protest against any CEC?" Pawan Khera asked. The Congress leader's remarks came in response to Union Minister Piyush Goyal's statements regarding the ongoing opposition agitation. Khera asserted that the current situation is unique, suggesting that the scale of the protest is a direct result of alleged irregularities under the current leadership of the poll body. The Congress, along with other opposition parties, has been staging protests demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, alleging large-scale deletion of voter names and a "targeted attack" on the democratic rights of citizens. Kheras comments further escalate the confrontation between the ruling BJP and the opposition, as the latter continues to press for institutional accountability regarding the electoral process. Earlier, Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday branded Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi as the "biggest red flag" for the Congress party, challenging him to answer 10 questions regarding SIR, the electoral process, and claims of vote theft. Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Goyal accused him of repeatedly causing electoral setbacks for his party. Challenging Gandhi to respond to a set of 10 questions, Goyal accused the Congress party of hypocrisy when questioning election authorities. "I challenge Rahul Gandhi to answer these 10 questions. Several people consider Rahul Gandhi the biggest red flag because of whom the Congress is losing again and again. Youth calls bad omen, a red flag. Rahul Gandhi is the biggest red flag for Congress," he said. Further, Goyal alleged that Rahul Gandhi and his colleagues mistreated a woman journalist who was three months pregnant while she was attempting to cover the demonstration. "Rahul Gandhi and his colleagues misbehaved with a woman journalist who is 3 months pregnant. She was only covering their protest. I don't think the 140 crore people of the country or any journalist would ever forgive this," he said. He further alleged that several Congress leaders are speaking against Gandhi, highlighting that Shashi Tharoor had claimed that Congress won in Kerala because of the SIR, as removing duplicate and deceased names prevented malpractice. He noted, "Ramesh Chennithala claimed that Congress won in Kerala because of the SIR, and Pinarayi Vijayan praised the SIR." (ANI)
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