Accept leadership failures instead of blaming institutions: Rijiju on Rahul's 'vote theft' claims

Kiren Rijiju

New Delhi, Sep 19 Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should accept responsibility for his repeated electoral defeats instead of targeting institutions.

His remarks came a day after Gandhi accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of protecting those behind "vote theft" and claimed that names of Congress voters were being systematically deleted from the electoral roll in Karnataka.

The Election Commission dismissed the charges as "incorrect and baseless", stating that no deletion of votes can take place without due process.

"If you lose elections repeatedly, you should acknowledge your weaknesses and accept the failure of your leadership. But instead, …you start blaming institutions. Is that the right way?" Rijiju asked on the sidelines of a FICCI FLO event here.

The Union minister accused the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha of trying to divert attention from his failures.

"Just to cover up his failures in elections, Rahul Gandhi cannot target any other institution or shift the focus elsewhere," Rijiju said, adding that such attempts would not be accepted by the people.

The minister further claimed that Gandhi's remarks often mirrored anti-India propaganda.

"Whatever narratives Pakistan creates, the same narratives are propagated by Rahul Gandhi and his company here in India. For many years now, what Rahul Gandhi and his group say is found to be used by anti-India groups and elements in Pakistan," Rijiju asserted.