New Delhi:
Congress general secretary Sachin Pilot on Wednesday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “soon-to-be ex-prime minister” and renewed the Opposition’s demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign over alleged irregularities in the electoral roll revision process.
In an interview with PTI Videos, Pilot said police action and the use of force would not silence young people protesting over alleged “vote chori”. He said the agitation had given fresh momentum to opposition parties.
Questioning why the Chief Election Commissioner should not resign, Pilot asked why a Vice-President could step down but the head of the Election Commission could not. He argued that the poll panel must ensure a fair electoral process and alleged that Kumar had failed to do so.
“If the match is fixed and the umpire is fixed, what is the point of watching any match?” Pilot said, comparing the electoral process to a sporting contest in which the participants must have confidence in the fairness of the outcome.
He maintained that the Congress was not considering a boycott of elections, describing such a move as premature. He also expressed confidence in the Supreme Court, where opposition leaders have challenged aspects of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Pilot accused the BJP-led government of weakening the independence of constitutional institutions and questioned changes to the process for selecting the Chief Election Commissioner. These allegations have been disputed by the ruling party and the Election Commission.