In the interview, PM Modi said that after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, Congress unnecessarily postponed elections across the country.
He also claimed that the party organized a nationwide procession of Raji Gandhi's ashes to gain public sympathy for later use in elections.
Criticizing PM Modi, he said that Congress is accusing the present Election Commission of impartiality while it itself is involved in such tactics.
He also tried to suggest that the Congress, which is now expressing 'concern' about the 'absence' of a level playing field in elections, had shown little regard for fairness in the past.
Citing past incidents, political observers say that after Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, the grand old party allegedly manipulated the Election Commission to delay the elections, taking advantage of public sympathy for electoral gains.Following the Prime Minister's remarks, several posts appeared on X, showing newspaper clippings from that time.
The clipping shows how Congress urged citizens to vote in its favor and further fueled the ongoing debate.
“EC rules say that if a candidate dies during the election, the election on that particular seat is canceled and conducted on a later date. There is no rule to postpone the entire election just for one seat. Yet, this is exactly what was done when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in May 1991.The entire election was postponed for three weeks,” one political commentator posted on Twitter.
Citing a newspaper clipping, the analyst said that at that time seven Chief Ministers had opposed the postponement of the elections. However, despite his opposition, the then Chief Election Commissioner T.N. Shesha decided to postpone the elections.
The entire debate is taking place in the backdrop of the Congress-led opposition raising concerns over the Election Commission's 'delay' in releasing data on voting percentage.
PM Modi himself had said during a rally on Thursday that sensing their defeat, opposition parties have again started blaming EVMs and questioning the voting figures.
A political analyst said, “In 1991, about seven chief ministers had strongly opposed postponing the elections. Many people called it the murder of democracy and the Constitution. Nevertheless, the then CEC T.N. Seshan, a well-known dynasty loyalist of the Congress, went ahead and, acting completely arbitrarily, postponed the elections.The user also highlighted that the three weeks provided by the Election Commission were effectively used by the Congress to garner sympathy votes, especially given the party's perceived trajectory towards a significant electoral setback. .
He also claimed that during those three weeks, the Congress took advantage of the opportunity to seek sympathy votes.
“Before the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the Congress was on its way to a significant electoral setback. The party strategically used the moratorium period to take out processions, feature Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in advertisements, organize funeral processions and adopt other strategies to arouse sympathy from voters.
“Ultimately, the postponement completely changed the dynamics of the elections,” he said.,
Social media users also alleged that Seshan was later given a "huge reward by the Congress", which gave him a ticket to contest against veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani.
Another political analyst said that many other CECs were similarly 'corrupted by the Congress'.
He argued, “The Congress ecosystem which every day creates a false narrative of level playing field against the present Election Commission should look at its own sordid and disgusting past."
He also claimed that the party organized a nationwide procession of Raji Gandhi's ashes to gain public sympathy for later use in elections.
Criticizing PM Modi, he said that Congress is accusing the present Election Commission of impartiality while it itself is involved in such tactics.
He also tried to suggest that the Congress, which is now expressing 'concern' about the 'absence' of a level playing field in elections, had shown little regard for fairness in the past.
Citing past incidents, political observers say that after Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, the grand old party allegedly manipulated the Election Commission to delay the elections, taking advantage of public sympathy for electoral gains.Following the Prime Minister's remarks, several posts appeared on X, showing newspaper clippings from that time.
The clipping shows how Congress urged citizens to vote in its favor and further fueled the ongoing debate.
“EC rules say that if a candidate dies during the election, the election on that particular seat is canceled and conducted on a later date. There is no rule to postpone the entire election just for one seat. Yet, this is exactly what was done when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in May 1991.The entire election was postponed for three weeks,” one political commentator posted on Twitter.
Citing a newspaper clipping, the analyst said that at that time seven Chief Ministers had opposed the postponement of the elections. However, despite his opposition, the then Chief Election Commissioner T.N. Shesha decided to postpone the elections.
The entire debate is taking place in the backdrop of the Congress-led opposition raising concerns over the Election Commission's 'delay' in releasing data on voting percentage.
PM Modi himself had said during a rally on Thursday that sensing their defeat, opposition parties have again started blaming EVMs and questioning the voting figures.
A political analyst said, “In 1991, about seven chief ministers had strongly opposed postponing the elections. Many people called it the murder of democracy and the Constitution. Nevertheless, the then CEC T.N. Seshan, a well-known dynasty loyalist of the Congress, went ahead and, acting completely arbitrarily, postponed the elections.The user also highlighted that the three weeks provided by the Election Commission were effectively used by the Congress to garner sympathy votes, especially given the party's perceived trajectory towards a significant electoral setback. .
He also claimed that during those three weeks, the Congress took advantage of the opportunity to seek sympathy votes.
“Before the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the Congress was on its way to a significant electoral setback. The party strategically used the moratorium period to take out processions, feature Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in advertisements, organize funeral processions and adopt other strategies to arouse sympathy from voters.
“Ultimately, the postponement completely changed the dynamics of the elections,” he said.,
Social media users also alleged that Seshan was later given a "huge reward by the Congress", which gave him a ticket to contest against veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani.
Another political analyst said that many other CECs were similarly 'corrupted by the Congress'.
He argued, “The Congress ecosystem which every day creates a false narrative of level playing field against the present Election Commission should look at its own sordid and disgusting past."
