Bhopal, Nov 4 : Union Health Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader J.P. Nadda on Wednesday accused the Congress of undermining democratic institutions by questioning the Election Commission and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) after electoral defeats, as he led a party march in Bhopal against the Opposition's 'Vote Chori' allegations.
Nadda, accompanied by the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and State BJP President Hemant Khandelwal, led the 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' (Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy) foot march from Atal Path near Platinum Plaza to Roshanpura via New Market.
Addressing party workers during the programme, Union Minister Nadda targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying the party had no moral right to claim it was defending democracy while questioning the credibility of constitutional institutions.
"Today, Rahul Gandhi and the Congress are pretending to be protectors of democracy. What right do they have to speak about protecting democracy? During the Emergency, 1.3 lakh people were put in jail without being given an opportunity to defend themselves," he said.
Referring to the Emergency imposed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975, Nadda added that he was twice taken from his classroom to a police station during that period.
He alleged that entire families were arrested and denied their democratic rights.
The BJP leader also accused the Congress and the INDIA bloc of attempting to weaken public confidence in constitutional institutions for political gains.
He said opposition parties should examine their own shortcomings instead of blaming EVMs and the Election Commission for electoral defeats.
In an apparent reference to Rahul Gandhi, Nadda added that political parties needed to win people's hearts to secure electoral victories, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's support across the country.
The Bhopal march witnessed the participation of thousands of BJP workers, traders, professionals and representatives of social organisations.
The programme was the third such march organised by the BJP in Madhya Pradesh as part of its statewide campaign against the Congress.
Similar programmes were held in Indore on October 30 and Jabalpur on November 2.
The BJP launched the campaign to counter the Congress's 'Vote Chori' allegations and its criticism of the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Congress has repeatedly questioned the electoral process and alleged irregularities in voter lists, while the BJP has accused the Opposition of casting doubts on democratic institutions without substantiating its claims.
The competing campaigns have intensified the political confrontation between the BJP and Congress in Madhya Pradesh, with both parties seeking to shape the debate around electoral transparency and the credibility of constitutional institutions.
