New Delhi, June 02: A Bharatiya Janata Party delegation led by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called upon the Election Commission of India and raised concerns over repeated attempts by a “certain section” who are trying to “undermine” the integrity of India’s electoral process.
They also urged the ECI to take a few steps to ensure the safety and security of the electoral process and be fully conversant with the minutest details of the prescribed process.
The delegation of BJP leaders, including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, met with the Chief Election Commissioner and the two Election Commissioners.
Speaking to the reporters, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said, “Today a delegation of BJP led by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met with the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners to demand and urge them to take 4 important steps.”
“First, is that we have requested EC every official engaged in the counting process be fully conversant with the minutest details of the prescribed process and engage diligently with all EC protocols,” Goyal said.
BJP also requested ECI take stringent action against those responsible against the systematic attempts to undermine the electoral process and issue a public statement affirming the integrity of India’s electoral process.
“Second, to ensure safety and security of the electoral process during the counting and announcement of results, including enhanced monitoring and security measures to prevent any attempts of violence and unrest,” the Union Minister said.
“Third, to take cognisance of the systematic attempts to undermine the electoral process and take stringent action against those responsible. Fourth, issue a public statement affirming the integrity of the electoral process and warning against any attempt to disrupt the democratic process,” he added.
The Union Minister, who is also BJP’s candidate from Mumbai North said they had to call upon the ECI in light of the repeated attempts against India’s robust electoral process and termed it a “direct attack” on our democratic institutions.
He added that India is proud of its “robust, transparent and high-integrity” electoral process.
“We had to call upon ECI today, in light of the repeated attempts by a section of the political parties led by the Indian National Congress and their INDI alliance partners and certain motivated civil society groups and NGOs who are trying their level best to undermine the integrity of India’s electoral process. Their efforts against India’s robust electoral process are a direct attack on our democratic institutions and pose a threat to public order and trust in our electoral system,” Goyal said.
“We Indians are extremely proud that for 30 years, we have had an unblemished track record, in which elections are held in a free and fair manner, orderly manner and the world today looks upon the Indian electoral system as a very robust, transparent and high-integrity election system,” he added.
Piyush Goyal added that a certain section of people, including the Opposition are not able to digest the expected mandate for BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and they can’t expect a leader like Prime Minister Modi to take India to greater heights.
“I think the mandate given by the people of 2014 and 2019 and the likely mandate in 2024 expected on June 4 has unnerved the Opposition, some NGOs and so-called civil society groups, who cannot expect a leader of the masses, a leader who has delivered for 1.4 billion people, who is seen to take India to greater heights who is preparing to make India a developed nation. That leadership is unacceptable to certain people, certain sections of society…continuously coming out with a toolkit to undermine our institutions, be it the Supreme Court of India, regulatory bodies or the Election Commission of India,” Goyal further stated.
The Lok Sabha elections for 543 members of the lower house took place across seven phases. The counting is scheduled on June 4.
ANI
