Fadnavis accuses Rahul Gandhi, Congress of eroding trust in constitutional bodies
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis accused Rahul Gandhi and the Congress of trying to undermine public confidence in constitutional institutions over the SIR exercise.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has accused Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and the Congress of attempting to weaken public faith in constitutional institutions, in remarks directed at the ongoing debate over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Speaking on the issue, Mr. Fadnavis said the Opposition's approach amounted to a strategy of confusion when it could not persuade people on the merits. He argued that parties across the political spectrum had accepted the authority of the Election Commission of India when they won elections, but turned to questioning the same institution after suffering defeats.
The Chief Minister's remarks place the conduct of the poll panel and the credibility of the electoral roll revision at the centre of the political confrontation between the ruling dispensation and the Opposition. Mr. Fadnavis framed the criticism of the SIR process as part of a broader effort to erode confidence in constitutional bodies rather than as a debate about electoral procedures.
The Congress and other Opposition parties have been pressing their objections to the SIR exercise, while the ruling side has defended the process and the independence of the Election Commission. Mr. Fadnavis's comments are the latest in an escalating exchange over the credibility of the electoral machinery.