Should LoP Gandhi's Statements Be Disregarded by 60%?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Credibility Issues: Bhupender Yadav claimed Rahul Gandhi's statements lack credibility.
- Voter Data Discrepancies: Official data contradicts Gandhi's claims about voter increases.
- Threats to Democratic Institutions: Yadav accused Gandhi of undermining democratic integrity.
- Political Accountability: The necessity for accountability in political discourse was emphasized.
- Opposition Victories: Yadav challenged the narrative of manipulation by highlighting opposition wins.
New Delhi, Aug 8 (NationPress) Union Minister and prominent BJP figure Bhupender Yadav vehemently criticized Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi during a press briefing at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Friday, asserting that the Congress leader's remarks lack legitimacy and ought to be discounted by “at least 60 percent.”
“Rahul Gandhi has lost all credibility. Whatever he utters should be valued at 60 percent less immediately,” Yadav proclaimed, dismissing LoP Gandhi's recent allegations concerning supposed voter manipulation and inflated electoral rolls in Maharashtra.
The Union Minister also reproached LoP Gandhi for claiming that the voter count in Maharashtra surged by one crore between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections.
Utilizing official data from the Election Commission, Yadav clarified that the true difference was around 40 lakh voters — rendering LoP Gandhi’s assertion exaggerated by more than 60 percent.
“This illustrates how disconnected he is from reality. His entire narrative is built on falsehoods,” Yadav asserted.
He further accused LoP Gandhi of allegedly intimidating Election Commission officials.
“When we assume power, there will be repercussions for EC officers. This is what Rahul Gandhi said. Is this the rhetoric appropriate for a Leader of Opposition in a democracy?” Yadav questioned.
He accused LoP Gandhi of undermining crucial democratic institutions, including the Election Commission, the Supreme Court, and even the Indian Army.
The BJP leader highlighted various Assembly constituencies in Maharashtra where voter increases were noted between Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, yet candidates from Opposition parties such as NCP (Sharad Pawar), Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and Samajwadi Party emerged victorious.
“If there was manipulation, how did the Opposition continue to win?” he challenged.
“In Mumbra-Kalwa (149), votes increased by 41,66, with NCP’s Jitendra Awhad winning. In Bhiwandi, votes grew by 37,535, won by SP’s Rais Kasam Shaikh. In Khed Alandi (197), over 23,000 new votes were registered, where Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Babaji Ramchandra Kale secured the victory,” the BJP leader explained.
“In Parbhani (96), the vote count rose by over 15,000, with Dr. Rahul Vedprakash Patil of Shiv Sena (UBT) emerging victorious. In Mohol (SC reserved seat) (247), the voter count surged by over 11,000, and NCP (Sharad Pawar)’s Khare Raju won the seat. Nagpur North (57), where votes increased by over 23,000, was won by Congress’ Dr. Nitin Raut. In Tasgaon (AC-247), with over 11,000 added votes, NCP’s Rohit Patil triumphed. Seat 253 also saw a rise of over 20,000 votes, won by Dr. Babasaheb Deshmukh,” he added.
Pointing to past events, Yadav noted that LoP Gandhi had earlier submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court and later had to apologize. “He speaks without accountability, evades responsibility, and disrupts parliamentary proceedings,” he stated.
Yadav accused the Congress of fabricating “fake narratives” for the benefit of a single family—the Gandhis—at the expense of institutional integrity and public confidence.