Chitradurga (Karnataka) [India], October 7 (ANI): Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly R Ashoka on Wednesday targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his act of standing at the Delhi Police’s yellow metal barricades during the INDIA bloc protest, declaring that Gandhi was going through a phase of misfortune (Rahu Kaala) and asserting that the Election Commissioner could not simply be removed by protesting on the street.
“Rahul Gandhi is going through a phase of misfortune; that is why he is protesting—there is nothing else to be done about it. You cannot simply remove the Election Commission by standing on the street; a parliamentary session must be held, a majority must be proven, and the President must be approached—there are many such procedures involved,” said R Ashoka.
Speaking to the media in Chitradurga ahead of the ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalpa’ meeting, Ashoka claimed that corruption and price rises had increased under the tenure of the Congress government, specifically under Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s rule.
Additionally, Ashoka rhetorically questioned whether Chief Minister DK Shivakumar would step down from his post if he demanded his resignation from the streets, asserting that the Election Commission is an independent body operating under established removal rules and procedures, which were instituted during the tenure of former PM Indira Gandhi.
Referencing Congress’s win in Kerala and Karnataka elections, he also alleged that when Congress achieves victory, they deem the Election Commission to be functioning well, but claim it is compromised whenever they face defeat, describing this double standard as the hallmark of Rahul Gandhi’s Rahu Kaala (inauspicious phase).
Ashoka further accused Rahul Gandhi of disrespecting constitutional institutions, declaring that if Congress truly doubts the ECI’s credibility, Congress members should resign from their posts.
“They are showing disrespect towards constitutional institutions. Congress won in Karnataka; does that mean the Election Commission was functioning correctly? If so, the Congress members should resign. Congress also won in Kerala, while the BJP secured three seats. When they win big, they deem the Election Commission to be functioning well; otherwise, they claim it is not. This is the story of Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Rahu Kaala’ (inauspicious phase); he is unfit to be a parliamentary leader. He alleges that every constitutional institution is working in favour of the BJP. It is the Congress’s policy to claim institutions are flawed when CBI or ED raids expose their illicit wealth, yet praise them when they win elections,” added R Ashoka.
Ashoka warned that this attitude has alienated the party from the public, cautioning that if Congress continues with such behaviour, voters in Telangana and Karnataka will completely reject the party in future elections.
“This attitude has led the people of the country to reject the Congress. If they continue this behaviour, the people of Telangana and Karnataka will also reject them, and the party will face a disastrous fate,” said Ashoka.
R Ashoka’s remarks came after Delhi Police registered an FIR against the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra and other INDIA Bloc MPs for allegedly forcibly entering the Akashvani Bhavan without permission during their protest against the Election Commission.
According to Delhi Police, the INDIA bloc had planned a march from Parliament House towards Nirvachan Sadan, the headquarters of the Election Commission. Police said no official permission had been sought or granted for the proposed march.
The Opposition MPs were stopped from proceeding towards the Election Commission office, following which some leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, staged a sit-in near Akashvani Bhavan.
As the protesters were stopped near the Election Commission office, several opposition leaders and MPs staged a sit-in protest. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra subsequently entered the Akashvani Bhavan premises along with other leaders and continued their protest there.
Police said the protesters were asked to vacate the premises, but they allegedly refused to comply and insisted that they would not leave until a delegation of MPs was allowed to meet officials of the Election Commission. (ANI)
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