Panaji: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday hit out at the Congress over its ‘Save Democracy’ campaign, calling it a “Save Dynasty Yatra” and accusing the opposition party of spreading lies and creating anarchy.
Addressing media persons at Manohar International Airport, Mopa, in North Goa on Friday, Chouhan also defended the electoral roll revision exercise, saying voter lists should not contain the names of people who are deceased, have duplicate entries or are not citizens of the country.
“Congress is starting a new drama from today — the ‘Save Democracy Yatra’. This is not a ‘Save Democracy Yatra’. This is a ‘Save Dynasty Yatra’, a ‘Save Family Yatra’,” Chouhan said.
His remarks came as the INDIA bloc announced ‘Save Democracy’ marches from October 2 to 8 over its concerns regarding electoral rolls and the Election Commission.
Chouhan accused the Congress of spreading anarchy and lies and of “defaming the country on foreign soil”.
He also attacked the Congress over the Emergency and alleged that the party had dismissed elected governments more than 50 times and changed chief ministers frequently.
On the ongoing controversy over electoral rolls, Chouhan said the voter list was the “soul of democracy” and questioned why the names of deceased persons, people with duplicate entries and non-citizens should remain on the rolls.
“If an exercise is being undertaken to clean up the voter list, Congress itself opposes it,” he said.
Chouhan also claimed that Congress had lost 99 national and state elections under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership.
Referring to Mahatma Gandhi’s views on the future of the Congress after Independence, Chouhan said Gandhi had wanted the organisation to be dissolved and transformed into a Lok Sevak Sangh.
Historical records show that Gandhi did prepare a draft in January 1948 proposing that the Congress organisation be disbanded and transformed into a Lok Sevak Sangh. Historians, however, have noted that the proposal concerned transforming the organisation after its role in the freedom movement rather than simply ending its social or political relevance.
Chouhan said Gandhi’s proposal was not accepted by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and claimed that Rahul Gandhi would ultimately prove Gandhi’s statement by bringing about the end of the Congress.
“The time has come to dissolve Congress… Now the people will dissolve Congress,” he said.
Chouhan also criticised the Congress in Goa, alleging that internal differences within the state unit were prompting workers to leave the party.
Earlier, Chouhan congratulated Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for taking government schemes to the doorstep of the people and described the state as a model of Viksit Bharat.
He also paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on Gandhi Jayanti and said the cleanliness campaign would be taken forward with renewed enthusiasm.
