Ponnam vows to fight alleged voter purges
In Short
Minister condemns arrests of Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi during Delhi protest
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Minister for BC Welfare and Transport Ponnam Prabhakar
Hyderabad: Minister for BC Welfare and Transport Ponnam Prabhakar said the right to vote is a fundamental constitutional right and warned that any attempt to undermine it would not be tolerated.
Addressing the media at Sriramulapalli in Koheda mandal of Siddipet district on Tuesday, he expressed concern over the alleged deletion of votes belonging to the poor and eligible citizens in rural areas during voter-list revision.
Ponnamcriticised the Election Commission, alleging that it was functioning under the influence of the Central government instead of independently discharging its responsibilities. He said such actions could undermine the democratic process.
The minister also condemned the arrest of Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi during their protest in Delhi over the alleged irregularities in voter lists and said preventing peaceful protests amounted to curtailing the democratic right to protest.
Alleging that the Centre was adopting an authoritarian approach, Ponnam said opposition parties across the country were raising concerns over the Election Commission’s functioning. He announced that the Congress would intensify its campaign under the banner ‘Desh Bachao... Vote Bachao’ (Save the Nation... Save the Vote)' from the grassroots level to protect voters’ rights.
