Minister of State for Prime Minsiter’s Office Jitendra Singh questioned the Congress’ silence on EVMs after BJP lost Gorakhpur and Phulpur bypolls and Congress lost its deposits. (Photo: ANI)
Union Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh on Sunday dismissed Congress’ celebrations over BJP’s defeat in the recently-held Lok Sabha bye-elections in Uttar Pradesh and accused the grand old party of making selective criticism of EVMs.
“Congress and Rahul Gandhi have lost the plot. Why didn’t they object to EVM when they were winning the elections back to back? Their mindset is evident from the fact that they’re celebrating UP result because the BJP didn’t win. Their own candidates lost their deposit there,” Jitendra Singh was quoted as saying by ANI.
The BJP leader, addressing ceasefire violations at the Line of Control (LoC), also said that the government would take cognizance and act on the same.
On Wednesday, the BJP suffered two unexpected reversals as it lost the bypolls held for the seats of Gorakhpur vacated by UP’s Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Phulpur vacated by the state’s deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya. Meanwhile, the Congress party is mulling its political, ideological and its structural roadmap going forward in its 84th Plenary session being held in the national capital, the first after Rahul Gandhi’s election as party president.
Speaking on ceasefire violations on LoC by Pakistani forces leading to killing of five civilians, Singh said “The defence ministry and home ministry will take cognizance of such things. our security forces are also retaliating, we should be rest assured that appropriate action will be taken.”
On Sunday morning, five members of a family were killed during a ceasefire violation in Mendhar area of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir.
Afterwards, NC leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah expressed grief over the deaths of the civilians and the NC tweeted their condolences. “Reiterate appeal for immediate restoration of ceasefire. Extend heartfelt condolences to the kith and kin of the deceased.”