Chitradurga: Karnataka BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the state Legislative Assembly, R Ashoka, on Wednesday criticised the Congress and Rahul Gandhi over the demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, saying the head of the Election Commission cannot be removed simply through protests on the streets.
Ashoka said there is a proper constitutional process for removing the head of the Election Commission, which involves a detailed discussion in Parliament, establishing a majority and subsequently sending the matter to the President.
“It is not possible to remove the chairman of the Election Commission easily,” Ashoka said, drawing a comparison with the removal of a Chief Minister.
“Just because I shout on the street that corruption has increased, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar cannot be removed,” he said.
Ashoka was speaking after participating in the Seva Jyoti Yatra organised by the BJP to mark 25 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public life.
Ashoka accuses Rahul Gandhi of insulting constitutional institution
The BJP leader said the Constitution gives citizens the right to protest, but added that the removal of the head of an independent constitutional institution such as the Election Commission has to follow a prescribed procedure.
He accused Rahul Gandhi of protesting against the Election Commission without following that process and alleged that this amounted to insulting a constitutional institution.
“Congress has won in the state. If it is claimed that the election here was not conducted properly, then Congress leaders should resign,” Ashoka said.
He also alleged that Rahul Gandhi criticises the Election Commission only in states where the Congress loses elections.
“The BJP has not won in Kerala either. Rahul Gandhi’s view is that the Election Commission is wrong only where Congress loses. He is not even fit to be Leader of the Opposition,” Ashoka said.
He further accused the Congress of targeting institutions such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), High Courts and the Supreme Court whenever their decisions or investigations go against the party.
Ashoka also warned that if the Congress continues with this approach, it could lose its majority in Karnataka as well.
Ashoka targets Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar over viral video
Commenting on a recent video involving Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Ashoka alleged that the Chief Minister had asked Veerashaiva Lingayat seers to “do service” to him.
Ashoka said Shivakumar should apologise to the seers if he had made the remarks shown in the video.
“If the CM has any sense of honour, he should apologise before all the Swamis. He should not accuse the media. The media should broadcast all the videos,” he said.
Ashoka also questioned whether Shivakumar would make a similar statement at a gathering of Muslim clerics and accused him of “putting on an act of being Hindu”.
He said the video had emerged in the media and could not simply be twisted, adding that in the present era, such footage could be scrutinised by the public.
BJP holds Seva Jyoti Yatra
Speaking about the Seva Jyoti Yatra, Ashoka said the programme was organised to mark 25 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public life.
He said the BJP’s Seva Sankalpa Abhiyan was aimed at providing service to different communities and claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership was responsible for India moving towards becoming a “Vishwaguru”.