Jaipur, May 11 (PTI) Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should clearly explain the circumstances behind his recent appeal to people in the context of the West Asia crisis.
Speaking to reporters at Jaipur airport, Gehlot said that the prime minister’s remarks asking people to avoid buying gold or travelling abroad had led to widespread speculation and criticism.
Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Gehlot said the leader of opposition’s concerns should be taken seriously and suggested the government might be preparing the ground for a possible increase in prices or duties after elections.
“People deserve clarity on the situation,” he said.
Commenting on the issue of government formation in Kerala, Gehlot said political parties have their own internal processes and outsiders should not interfere.
However, he alleged that the conduct of elections in West Bengal would be viewed as a “blot on history”.
“There was excessive use of money power and deployment of security personnel there,” he alleged.
He also raised concerns over voter verification under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and alleged that though around 27 lakh voters were later confirmed as eligible, they could still not cast their votes.
“Even one voter being deprived of voting rights is unfortunate,” he said, adding that elections should have been postponed if such issues remained unresolved.
Gehlot alleged that the democratic process and the principle of a level playing field were undermined during the polls.
He also accused the BJP of doing divisive politics in the name of religion.
“Safeguarding democracy is essential for protecting the rights and dignity of ordinary citizens,” he said. PTI SDA KSS KSS
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.