Jammu: Indian Youth Congress national president Uday Bhanu Chib on Wednesday accused the BJP of vote theft, misuse of institutions and failing to fulfil its promises.
“The biggest example is vote theft itself. The Election Commissioners of our country work at their behest, and agencies like the ED and CID have been turned into instruments,” Chib said here.
On opposition unity, Chib said the 2024 elections showed that a united fight can challenge the BJP.
“The BJP that claimed ‘400 plus’ could only reach around 240. If we had got 15 more seats, the country would have had a better Prime Minister working in the nation’s interest,” he said.
Chib said, “No matter how many such crutches they use, the wave that will come in 2029-no number of such supports will be able to save them.”
He claimed that the BJP’s political space was “shrinking day by day” and it needed crutches to return to power. Expressing confidence about the future, Chib added, “No matter how many such crutches they use, the wave in 2029 will be so strong that no amount of support will be able to save them.”
The IYC leader alleged that there are curbs on social media. “Many social media influencers are being targeted… people are being suppressed – their pages are being shut down.”
He said his organisation was fighting a legal battle against such actions. “Mainstream media is, to a large extent, under their influence, but social media is not…,” he said.
Replying to a question on youth and politics, Chib said trust can only be built through delivery.
“The BJP promised two crore jobs every year but failed… smart cities also did not materialise as promised. So how will the youth place their faith in them?” he asked.
He asserted that young people have faith in Rahul Gandhi.
“He speaks for youth and women and stands by what he says. When such leadership comes to power, the trust of the youth will be restored – not just in politics, but also in democracy and the Constitution,” Chib said.
On security in Jammu and Kashmir post-Article 370 abrogation, Chib said the BJP should answer questions on ground realities.
“Kashmiri Pandits protested for a long time, saying Kashmir is unsafe for them,” he said.
Referring to his recent visit to Shivkhori, he said, “There are time restrictions for devotees. A devotee of Lord Shiva cannot visit freely after a certain time. This shows the government has failed to provide even basic security.”
He said such restrictions in Jammu also reflected “lack of confidence”.
Responding to a question about whether democracy is under threat, as Congress has often flagged issues, Chib alleged that there are attempts to silence critics.
When we raise issues against the BJP, they try to suppress us by jailing us, intimidation, or using agencies, he said, adding, “Such attempts are being made, but I would not say democracy is in danger.”
“No matter how much they try to intimidate us, we have faith in the Constitution of India. We are exercising our rights fully and have no fear,” he said.
He added that they may try to suppress freedom of speech, but we will not be silenced. (Agencies)
