“Reduced To Joke”: Criticism On Election Commission Inaction Over BJP’s Communal Video

In the midst of India’s ongoing Lok Sabha elections, criticism has erupted over the Election Commission of India’s inaction against a contentious video posted on the social media handle of BJP Karnataka. TMC MP Saket Gokhale minced no words in his scathing attack on the poll body, declaring the Commission’s current state as the lowest point in the nation’s history.

Gokhale’s damning indictment didn’t stop there, as he lamented the apparent erosion of a fair electoral process painstakingly built over decades, branding the situation a cruel joke. He further alleged that the Commission was overseeing and even endorsing the complete dismantling of electoral norms, leaving a void where rules once stood.

“I say this with full responsibility: The Election Commission of India has never seen a lower point in the history of the country. It has been reduced to a joke – a cruel joke that is supervising & encouraging the complete destruction of a fair electoral process built over decades. Shame is an understatement. This election officially has no rules left anymore for BJP or Modi. We are officially no more a country that can pride itself on free & fair elections,” he wrote on X.

Actor-politician Prakash Raj joined the chorus of disapproval, directing his ire at BJP Karnataka for what he described as “disgusting” and “hate-spreading” communal politics. Raj vowed that the inclusive and peace-loving people of Karnataka and the nation would deliver a resounding rebuke to such divisive tactics.

The video in question has stirred controversy for its content, which runs contrary to the Model Code of Conduct governing the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. This incident adds to previous criticisms leveled at the Election Commission for its perceived leniency towards hate speech and communal content by BJP leaders.