GUWAHATI, Aug 3: Senior Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi on Sunday alleged that the neutrality of the Election Commission is questionable, and that is why the opposition parties want a discussion on the revision of the voter list in Parliament.
Speaking to reporters before the start of the Extended Executive Meeting of the Assam unit of the Congress here, Gogoi, who is also the deputy leader of the party in Lok Sabha, also questioned the BJP-led central government's decision not to allow a discussion on the EC even though the Chief Election Commissioner is appointed by it.
"Today, there is a question mark in the minds of the people regarding the neutrality of the EC. That is why we want a discussion in Parliament. The government is trying to hide something. What is it? Is it their manipulation in the last assembly polls and Lok Sabha election?" the Assam Congress chief asked.
Gogoi said the Opposition wants an open discussion in Parliament regarding the voter list, which is being revised in Bihar.
"The common people should know the status of their voting rights and details of polling stations. We want a discussion on this, but the government is saying they cannot discuss the matter.
"Their logic is that the Election Commission is not related to any department. This is an absurd logic because the Chief Election Commissioner is appointed by the PM and government," he added.
Gogoi also claimed that there have been instances of electors visiting a polling station during voting, and coming to know that their names are missing from the list.
Speaking about Operation Sindoor, the Congress MP said, "The Union Home Minister did not even give minimum respect to the deceased of the Pahalgam terror attack. People died because of intelligence failure of the agencies under his ministry, but they did not apologise to the people. That's their nature."
Gogoi also said that Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi has expressed willingness to visit Assam.
"When she had campaigned in Dhubri during the last Lok Sabha polls, she had told the people that she would visit the constituency after winning it. Now that we have won it with a record margin, she wants to visit Dhubri again, and she told me about it in Parliament," he added.
The Extended Executive Meeting of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee began here on Sunday morning. All party MPs, MLAs and senior leaders of the state unit participated in it.
In the meeting, the strategy for the assembly elections was discussed threadbare, a leader said.
Assembly elections in Assam for 126 seats are likely in March-April next year.
"Two resolutions were adopted at the meeting. One is political and the other is economic. These will be prepared keeping in mind the upcoming assembly polls," the party leader said. (PTI) |
