'Will Of People Shall Prevail': Congress Says 'Desperate' BJP Calling Up DMs, Alleges 'Intimidation'

Lok Sabha Polls: Jairam Ramesh said that on June 4, PM Modi and Shah will exit and the opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A will emerge victorious.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.

Source : PTI Images

Lok Sabha Polls: Ahead of the counting of votes in the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday, claiming that the BJP is desperate and Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been calling up DMs and collectors.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that on June 4, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and the saffron party will exit, and the opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A will emerge victorious.

In a post on X, Ramesh said that the will of the people should prevail on June 4. "The outgoing Home Minister has been calling up DMs/Collectors. So far he has spoken to 150 of them. This is blatant and brazen intimidation, showing how desperate the BJP is. Let it be very clear: the will of the people shall prevail, and on June 4th, Mr. Modi, Mr. Shah, and the BJP will exit, and the INDIA Janbandhan will be victorious. Officers should not get under any pressure and must uphold the Constitution. They are under watch," he said in a post on X.

The outgoing Home Minister has been calling up DMs/Collectors. So far he has spoken to 150 of them. This is blatant and brazen intimidation, showing how desperate the BJP is. Let it be very clear: the will of the people shall prevail, and on June 4th, Mr. Modi, Mr. Shah, and the…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 1, 2024

EC Asks Congress' Ramesh To Share Details Of Claim On Shah Calling Up DMs

The Election Commission (EC) sought factual information from Ramesh on his claim that Shah has called up 150 district magistrates and collectors ahead of the June 4 counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections. In a letter to Ramesh, the poll panel has asked him to share details regarding his claim by 7 pm on Sunday.

The apex poll body has referred to his post on X on June 1, in which the Congress general secretary had alleged that "the outgoing Home Minister has been calling up DMs/Collectors. So far, he has spoken to 150 of them. This is blatant and brazen intimidation, showing how desperate the BJP is...." The process of counting votes is a sacred duty cast upon every returning officer and such public statements "tend to put an element of doubt and thus, deserves to be addressed in larger public interest", the EC has told the Congress leader.

It has also told the Congress leader that when the Model Code of Conduct is in force, all officers are under the deemed deputation of the commission and they report directly to the poll watchdog for any directions. "However, no DM has reported any such undue influence as alleged by you...," the EC's letter to Ramesh has stated.

"It is requested that details of 150 DMs to whom such calls have been allegedly made by the Home Minister along with the factual matrix/basis of your information are shared by 7 pm today -- June 2, 2024, so that appropriate action can be taken," it has told the Congress leader.

It has said that being a responsible, experienced and very senior leader of a national party, Ramesh must have made such a public statement ahead of the counting day on the basis of facts or information he believes to be true.