Srinagar, Aug 10: The Congress on Sunday said it will hold discussions with INDIA bloc partners in the next few days to chalk out a united response to what it alleges are instances of manipulation of voter lists in several states.
Congress leader Pawan Khera said a people’s campaign has started against the alleged “vote theft” by the Election Commission and the ruling BJP, with many people investigating voter lists on their own.
Khera was non-committal when asked if the party would demand a Joint Parliamentary Committee on the issue.
“We are discussing this with our INDIA alliance partners also. In the next two or three days, we will have another discussion with them and we will come back with a joint strategy,” he added.
Asked if going to the court was an option, the Congress spokesperson said he would not be able to comment on it at this stage. “But we all have to take a united stand on how to proceed in future,” he said.
Gandhi on Thursday claimed a “huge criminal fraud” in polls through “collusion” between the BJP and the Election Commission, citing his party’s analysis of voter rolls in a constituency in Karnataka last year.
Khera questioned the Election Commission, which has sought an affidavit from Gandhi on the vote theft allegations, asking if the poll body believes its papers are not.
“These papers belong to the Election Commission. The ECI does not trust its own papers? Let them give an affidavit first (about the papers),” he said.
“We also challenge the Election Commission. If it is proven right, will the CEC resign? Can he give it to us in writing?” he asked.
Gandhi, on his part, has said that he will not sign a declaration, asserting that he has already taken an oath to uphold the Constitution as a member of Parliament.
Asked why the poll body was at the centre of this campaign, Khera alleged that over the last 10 years, a lot of constitutional institutions have collapsed or are on the verge of collapsing.
Khera also hit back at the EC, which has asked Gandhi to apologise for what it claims are “fake” charges, and said, “You do the stealing and we have to apologise? Now you will be investigated.
Khera asserted that there was nothing for his party to prove. (PTI)
