New Delhi [India], October 4 (ANI): Launching a strong attack on the Congress amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday alleged that insulting people's mandate on facing defeat is an 'old habit' and is deeply embedded in the 'DNA of the Congress party.'

Chouhan, in a video posted on his X handle, claimed that the Congress has consistently sought to defame the poll watchdog and question constitutional processes whenever election outcomes do not favour them.

'Insulting the people's mandate upon defeat is an old habit of Congress; it is in Congress's DNA. India's democracy is the strongest in the world and serves as a global example. But insulting democracy, weakening constitutional institutions, defaming the Election Commission upon losing an election, and disrespecting the public mandate-this is in Congress's DNA,' Chouhan alleged.

He also slammed Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's remarks against the Prime Minister.

'At the behest of Rahul Gandhi-ji, Mallikarjun Kharge-ji made the remarks.  This is an insult to democracy and the public mandate. This is an attempt to weaken constitutional institutions, create mistrust towards democracy, and spread anarchy across the nation,' he alleged.  

'What kind of talk is this from Congress? If Congress wins an election, the Election Commission is fine, but if they lose, the Election Commission is flawed? After all, how did they win in Karnataka? How did they win in Telangana? How did they win in Himachal Pradesh?' he asked.

The senior BJP leader also strongly rejected the opposition's demand to abandon Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in favour of ballot papers, alleging that Congress wants to take India back to an era marred by electoral malpractice.

'They say elections should now be held using ballot papers. Where does Congress want to lead this country? Remember the decade of the '80s and '90s, when polling booths were captured (looted)? A single person would stamp all the ballot papers. Does Congress want to take the country back to that era? Technology enables elections to be conducted through transparent processes-why does Congress want to oppose it?' he asked.

"They are not committing the sin of weakening democracy just today; they have done it in the past by imposing the Emergency," he added.

Defending the integrity of the poll body's appointment process, Chouhan pointed out that Election Commissioners are now appointed under a framework established by an Act of Parliament.

'The appointment of the Election Commissioners is carried out through legislation passed by Parliament. Recall the era during Congress's tenure when the Prime Minister alone would appoint the Election Commissioner. I want to reiterate. Congress is playing a dangerous game of weakening constitutional institutions. If they lose, then constitutional institutions are wrong, the system is wrong-demolish it, destroy it, throw the country into anarchy. This is a sin, an outright sin! The people of this country will continually reply to this sin through their votes. The nefarious intentions and designs of Congress will never succeed,' he asserted.

The Indian Express reported last month that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally recorded objections on at least 14 separate occasions over 10 months regarding decisions on electoral rolls, voter registration, and technology systems. These reported concerns pertained to Form 6 submissions, voter deletions, and access to the central electoral-roll databases.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) later rejected claims of institutional dissent and stated that administrative queries, operational inputs, and suggestions during draft stages are standard practice. The poll panel emphasised that all final decisions regarding the SIR schedule were taken unanimously.

The INDIA bloc is stepping up its nationwide campaign against the Chief Election Commissioner and the commission's handling of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have planned a series of demonstrations, including a coordinated protest on October 6 and a major rally in New Delhi on November 1. (ANI)