Gehlot Slams BJP for Targeting Opposition Over Questions on EC

Jaipur: Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday accused the BJP of discrediting the opposition for raising questions over the Election Commission, saying protesting against the government Is not a conspiracy to destabilise the country.

Gehlot hit out at BJP national president Nitin Nabin, alleging that instead of answering the opposition's questions, he was acting as a lawyer for the Election Commission.

"Rattled by questions, BJP National President Shri Nitin Nabin is now having to act as the Election Commission's lawyer," Gehlot said in a post on X.

The BJP and the RSS did not believe in democracy and were now portraying opposition protests as attempts to destabilise the country, he alleged.

"The BJP itself took to the streets when it was in the opposition. Which foreign forces were involved then, and which are involved now?" he asked.

Gehlot said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had undertaken the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir to unite the country and it was shameful that the BJP was questioning his intentions.

He alleged that Gandhi was not allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was denied an opportunity to speak in the Rajya Sabha.

Accusing the government of preventing opposition MPs from marching to the Election Commission and Jantar Mantar, Gehlot alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were avoiding questions raised by the opposition.

He claimed that Delhi had been turned into a fortress, with 75 trains cancelled, entry gates at 57 metro stations closed, internet services suspended in large parts of New Delhi and even school examinations cancelled.

"When the opposition is branded 'Urban Naxals' or accused of acting at the behest of 'foreign forces' every time it raises a question, it is clear the government has run out of answers to the people's concerns," he said.

Gehlot also accused the BJP-led central government of yielding to foreign pressure, referring to statements by US President Donald Trump, tariffs imposed on India and visa policies.

"In a democracy, asking questions and staging protests are the fundamental rights of the opposition, not crimes," he said.