Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said he is ready to contest elections through ballot paper if Congress governments in Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana resign, asserting that those were also formed through alleged "vote chori" under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Addressing a press conference here, he hit out at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the Congress over their campaign against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged vote theft.
"I am ready to contest on the ballot paper if Rahul Gandhi and Congress are ready for their governments' resignations. The Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana governments must resign because those governments were also formed through ''vote chori'' under Gyanesh Kumar," Sarma said.
The BJP leader said Rahul Gandhi should resign before demanding the resignation of the CEC since he was also elected to the Lok Sabha through the same process.
He said, "I want to ask Rahul Gandhi and the Congress: If Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister through ''vote chori'', was Rahul Gandhi not elected and made the Leader of the Opposition through the same ''vote chori'' process?"
Defending the SIR, Sarma said the exercise was needed in the country to check demographic changes.
"The SIR is needed in India. Assam, West Bengal and Jharkhand's demography changed due to huge illegal immigration. Illegal immigration is taking place every day, and if we cannot delete their names from the voter list, India's demography will change," he said.
The SIR is essential to arrest demographic changes, the chief minister said.
"I demand that there should be an SIR every five years. Only then will Indian democracy be saved," he added.
The CM alleged that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress are working at the behest of foreign forces.
"They are trying to destroy all democratic institutions. They are trying to make India like Nepal and Bangladesh," he added.
Sarma further alleged that Gandhi is exposing India's democratic institutions to anarchy.
He described the Congress's " vote chori " protest as an attempt to effect regime change without public support.
"Without any people's support, only 2,000-3,000 people are joining Rahul Gandhi. This entire protest is carried out by a bunch of frustrated people and ''dimagi naxals'', who do not want India to grow," the chief minister added.
The chief minister challenged the Congress to boycott polls conducted through EVMs.
He said, "I want to ask Rahul Gandhi and Congress: will they take part in the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Punjab, Manipur and Uttarakhand because these all will be held during Gyanesh Kumar's tenure and by EVM. Can Congress declare that they will not contest in these elections and they will not contest any elections conducted using EVM?"
He alleged that Gandhi and the Congress have started blackmailing the country's institutions.
"They are threatening the Election Commission, and now they have gone to the extent of threatening the Supreme Court... I strongly condemn Rahul Gandhi and Congress for such actions," Sarma said.
He also claimed that Gandhi does not like the youth of the country.
"He (Gandhi) never tells them to study well. He only invites the youth to create disturbances in Delhi," the CM said.
When asked if the CJP and the Congress have any tacit understanding as both are demanding the same, Sarma said that he believes there is a competition between the Cockroach Janta Party and the opposition party.
"I do not want to comment on those who call themselves cockroaches. They call themselves cockroaches but not the youth of this country," he added.
The chief minister further said, "Rahul Gandhi never visited the Ram temple, but now he is talking about Shiva. He said that he will perform tandav."
Disclaimer: Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by The Daily Jagran staff and has been published through a syndicated feed by PTI.