Rahul Gandhi venting electoral frustration through protests: BJP

NEW DELHI: It is not Election Commission (EC) but Congress's own "visionless" leadership that is behind its long run of poll defeats, BJP said Monday, stating that an "unstable, anarchist and unserious" Rahul Gandhi has turned to street protests to vent his frustration over popular rejection. Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan quizzed Congress over its losses even in recent bypolls and factional fights besetting its state units from Karnataka to Punjab and UP, asserting that the party had lost people's trust for long. BJP MP Anurag Thakur questioned INDIA bloc's decision to submit a memorandum to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant following its march Monday, saying it amounted to Rahul and his party threatening the judiciary over a sub-judice matter. Hitting out at Rahul, Anurag said it was unfortunate for the country that the leader of the opposition has total disregard for facts and rules, and can only spread anarchy, denigrate constitutional institutions and defame India globally. "Vote chori is on his lips, but what he is doing is belittling popular mandate," he said. BJP also flayed Rahul for projecting the protests as "Shivji ki barat", recalling the previous Congress govt's decision questioning the existence of Lord Ram. In fact, it involves a collection of hooligans determined to stoke disorder with support from foreign forces inimical to India, the party alleged. Asked about Rahul's claims like half of police personnel sympathising with Opposition's protests, Chouhan cited a Hindi proverb to allege that the Congress MP was worth lakhs of liars. "If the Opposition is levelling allegations, then it is also its job to offer proof. It should support an independent probe into its claims. Democracy does not give one the licence to denigrate public mandate," Anurag said, adding that, unlike Congress, BJP has a history of defending the Constitution, as in the Emergency.

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Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra said "Rahul Gandhi, who once tore up a bill introduced by his own govt, has disrespected the dignity of Supreme Court today, proving that he has become the most anarchic leader in the country." "By disrespecting the dignity of Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of India today, Rahul Gandhi has forfeited the moral right to file a petition before Supreme Court," he added. "His anarchic conduct today has established that if he dislikes any verdict of Supreme Court tomorrow, he will take to the streets against it as well". BJP ally Chirag Paswan, who has at times taken a position different from BJP's, also hit out at Rahul, saying SC has already given its judgment on SIR and asking if he was not pressuring the court with street protests.

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