BJP’s Nishikant Dubey accuses Congress of subverting institutions; rubbishes charge of ‘RSS capture’

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey on Tuesday alleged that the Congress party had subverted multiple institutions through constitutional amendments in the 1970s, alleging that even the office of the President was “made toothless” through amendments during the Emergency.

While the Lower House of the Parliament discussed electoral reforms, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey rubbished Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s earlier accusation that the current institutions have been “captured by the RSS.”

Dubey cited the 1976 Swaran Singh Committee, which led to the 42nd Amendment, saying it stripped the President of powers. He criticised Gandhi’s claims, pointing out Congress’s own history of influencing institutions and appointments.

“In 1976, the Swaran Singh Committee was made, and they finished all institutions, which they are trying to do today too. In the Constitution, President is mentioned 121 times, and you will be surprised that with 1 amendment, Congress finished all the powers of the President. The president became a rubber stamp. Whatever the cabinet will say, the President will approve, the institution was finished,” the BJP MP said.

Dubey’s statement came just after Rahul Gandhi addressed the House to talk about electoral reforms. Gandhi alleged that “institutions of India are captured, and I will come to the point that the Election Commission is captured.”

“The capture of the intelligence agencies, we have the Home Minister sitting here, the capture of the CBI, of the ED, of the Income Tax Department, and the systematic placement of bureaucrats who favour their ideology and attack the opposition and anybody who chooses to oppose the RSS,” Gandhi had said.

Rubbishing the LoP’s claims, Nishikant Dubey had said during his speech that it was former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who did “vote chori,” including subverting the usual appointment of the Chief Justice of India.

“Indira Gandhi did vote chori in this, won the Raebareli elections, and when the Court judgement came, then the party set up such a situation that they bypassed 3 judges to make a Chief Justice who was on his post for 8.5 years,” Dubey said.

Targeting the Congress over their claims of BJP “capturing the Election Commission,” Dubey said that it was Congress which favoured certain high-ranking officials and gave them various posts in government after retirement.

“They talk about Election Commission, the country’s first Election Commissioner, Sukumar Sen, when he retires, he is made the ambassador of Sudan. VS Ramadevi, after retirement, becomes the Governor of Himachal Pradesh. TN Seshan was made a candidate against the BJP in Gujarat after his retirement. After MS Gill retired, he served as a union minister for over 10 years and remained in parliament. What Election Commission are you talking about? What fairness are you talking about?” he said.

“You talk about CBI, Ashwani Kumar, who was the security officer of Sonia Gandhi, has been made the CBI director. Ranjeet Sinha, who used to meet daily with Congress’s Ahmed Patel, was appointed CBI director. What are you talking about?” he added.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had alleged that the poll body had no answer to his allegations about bogus voters on voter lists in various states. Rahul Gandhi has held press conferences levelling “vote chori” allegations against the BJP.

Suggesting electoral reforms, he said that the Election Commission should give machine-readable voter list to political parties one month before the polls, take back guidelines on destruction of video footage after 45 days, “give us access to Electronic Voting Machines” and see its architecture and change the law about the composition of the committee which selects the Chief Election Commissioner and ECs.

The Lok Sabha discussed Electoral Reforms on Tuesday, a day after it marked the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. (ANI)