Khandelwal Mocks Opposition Over MLC Polls, Hits Akhilesh Yadav
BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal has taken a sharp swipe at the Congress and the Samajwadi Party over the MLC election results, arguing that the opposition's political standing is weakening. Speaking to reporters, he linked the outcome to the broader debate on electoral integrity and political accountability.
Khandelwal said the MLC results had made it clear that the Congress had lost its place in national politics. He recalled that the party had first alleged that EVMs were hacked and then blamed the Election Commission. He said that later the Congress raised allegations of vote theft, which he termed baseless, and then began demanding a return to ballot papers.
He questioned the Congress's position by pointing to the MLC polls, which were conducted through ballot papers. In his view, the outcome showed that the party's stance had not helped it gain ground. He urged the Congress to stop treating every issue as a political opportunity.
After Union Home Minister Amit Shah's social media post, Khandelwal accused the opposition of demanding resignations over every incident, however minor. He said that such demands had become a reflex for opposition parties, which often magnify smaller events into larger controversies.
Khandelwal argued that when the opposition repeatedly asks for resignations, it should examine its own responsibility in light of the election results. He endorsed Amit Shah's remarks and said Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders must clearly state their position before the public, because people were paying close attention to the opposition's conduct.
He further targeted Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who had commented on the BJP after the Varanasi MLC election results. Khandelwal said Akhilesh Yadav's political relevance was slowly fading, much like that of several other parties. While the leader had occasionally spoken sensibly in the past, his recent statements were, in Khandelwal's words, increasingly without substance.
On the attachment of property worth 1,170 crore rupees belonging to Jauhar University, associated with senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, Khandelwal said the people of Uttar Pradesh had witnessed the allegations of misuse of office against him. He stressed that the law applies equally to everyone and that legal processes were being followed.
Khandelwal concluded by saying that anyone who had acted wrongly would have to face the consequences under the law. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and said India's policies had seen substantial improvement, adding that policies harmful to the national interest would not be accepted.