Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that India was “no longer a democracy” and accused the BJP-led government of undermining the country’s democratic institutions.
Speaking at the Bharat Summit organised by the Telangana government in Hyderabad, Gandhi questioned the legitimacy of elections, asking how they could be considered fair if the Election Commission declared 140 million voters illegal.
“It is important for the democratic movement on the planet that India remains a democracy, and what we have found and proven is that India is actually no longer a democracy,” Gandhi said.
Rahul Gandhi Accuses BJP of Changing Electoral System
Gandhi alleged that the Congress witnessed a fundamental change in the electoral process in 2014, when the BJP came to power at the Centre.
“In 2014, we witnessed a completely new election with millions of dollars injected into the political system and a completely new type of campaign,” he said.
He further claimed that the Congress had found that democracy in India was destroyed in 2014.
Gandhi Says Foreign Delegates Were Stopped From Attending Summit
Gandhi also apologised to foreign delegates who could not attend the Bharat Summit in Hyderabad. He alleged that the Union government had prevented them from participating in the event.
He said the incident offered an indication of the situation the opposition was dealing with in India.
