BJP condemns 'Dead EC' Remark, Calls it attack on Democracy

The Election Commission is a constitutional body

New Delhi: The BJP on Thursday slammed SP chief Akhilesh Yadav for his remarks that the Election Commission was "dead" and accused the opposition of repeatedly attacking constitutional institutions whenever they faced electoral defeats. Speaking to the media, BJP MP Sambit Patra said, "As soon as the Parliament session started, the Samajwadi Party broke all limits and performed the last rites of the Election Commission in front of the Speaker... Such a misdeed had never happened in India's parliamentary proceedings. The Election Commission is a constitutional body and calling it dead and performing the last rites for it is an attack on democracy. The BJP demands that the stand of other opposition parties should be clear and the Samajwadi Party and Akhilesh Yadav should apologise for this misdeed in Parliament.

Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav had declared the Election Commission "dead", citing electoral malpractices on the part of the BJP. Before stepping into Parliament, Yadav told the media, "This is how the BJP fights elections. The Election Commission is dead. We have to give them white cloth. BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said, "This is not a new thing. We have seen how opposition parties attack constitutional institutions. Whenever they lose elections, they attack constitutional institutions.

Akhilesh Yadav's statement is less to be condemned. It is not proper in any way for a political party to use such words for constitutional institutions... The Samajwadi Party chief had claimed on Wednesday that police in Milkipur were checking voters' identity cards.