A day after taking on the Election Commission of India (ECI) by cancelling its orders transferring Intelligence chief A.B. Venkateswara Rao, the Telugu Desam Party national president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has accused the Modi government of destroying the autonomy of the Election Commission. “Prime minister Narendra Modi is trying to show his power and authority on Andhra Pradesh as it is going to polls in the first phase,” he alleged.
During a teleconference with party leaders and workers on Thursday, Mr. Naidu asserted that the TDP would not keep quiet if the Modi government continued to destroy the institutions. “The TDP will continue its fight for justice. The Telugu Desam was morally strong and can fight any force,” he asserted.
Hitting out at the Prime Minister, Mr. Naidu alleged that the Centre was watering down various institutions. The premier institutions were currently grappling with the worst-ever crisis.
Their autonomy was a big question. The economy collapsed, institutions were destroyed. The RBI Governors, who could not put up with the BJP, have resigned to their posts. The nation witnessed how the Modi government had messed up with the CBI. Now, the Election Commission joined the list, he alleged.
He wondered how ECI could entertain complaints lodged by a party headed by a person who was facing 31criminal cases, he said indirectly referring to the petition of the YSRCP. The ECI, however, reacted to the complaints with lightning speed.
And, in contrast it did not respond when 22 political parties were demanding VVPATs. The onus lies on the ECI to conduct free and fair elections. The Commission was not expected to toe the line of YSRCP or the BJP, he said.
‘One needs public support’
Mr. Modi has a habit of taking credit for the success of others. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was assiduously milking the army’s success. Now Mr. Modi tried to ride piggyback on the success of Anti Satellite Missile (ASAT). Any political party would come to power only if it enjoyed the popular support. The TDP would expose the betrayal of the BJP and injustice done to the State. The people would teach a lesson to BJP-TRS-YSRCP, he said.