Govt Elected by People Should Not Perish Provided Fair Elections: M M Joshi
BJP's veteran leader Murali Manohar Joshi said that the whole thing is to be done under the ambit of the Constitution, and if the Constitution is violated, then the Supreme Court should look into it
New Delhi: BJP veteran Murli Manohar Joshi on Thursday asserted that if elections are fair and the bureaucracy transparent, then the govt elected by people should not perish. Joshi, known for his candour, also said that if the Constitution is violated then the Supreme Court must look into it.
The Padma Vibhushan awardee was speaking to reporters on sidelines of the 21st FICCI Higher Education Summit here.
Responding to a question about the opposition demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, Joshi said, "...government of the people, for the people and by the people, shall not perish from the earth, provided the elections are fair, the governments are accountable, and the bureaucracy is transparent."
"The opposition is responsive and responsible, and has a clear-cut alternative programme.... The whole thing is to be done under the ambit of the Constitution, and if the Constitution is violated, then the Supreme Court should look into it. That is the principle on which democracy should work," added Joshi, a former Union minister.
Protests by the opposition followed a September 25 report in The Indian Express, about alleged irregularities in the SIR process and differences among the election commissioners over certain decisions.
Giving further momentum to the protests, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday led INDIA bloc leaders to another street demonstration -- the opposition grouping, after a lunch meeting at Janpath, held a surprise dharna near Jantar Mantar. But for the second day, police stalled the planned anti-CEC protests midway, forcibly detaining him and other leaders.
On Thursday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hosted another meeting of INDIA bloc leaders over lunch at a restaurant here.
Opposition leaders of the INDIA bloc later decided to stage a peaceful protest at Mahatma Gandhi's memorial at Rajghat to highlight what they alleged was the "hijacking" of the country by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the Chief Election Commissioner through a criminal conspiracy that involved 'vote chori'.