1 hr ago
Venugopal renews attack on Centre over election reforms, Kerala AIIMS
K.C. Venugopal, a Congress leader, criticized the central government over how elections are being handled.
He said the Congress and its INDIA bloc partners would keep pushing for elections they believe are fair and open.
The bloc has taken its concerns to the President and decided to seek a meeting with the Chief Justice of India.
Venugopal also criticized the Centre for not approving a major medical institute for Kerala.
He recalled that a health minister promised in 2015 that Kerala would get one the following year, but it has not happened.
Venugopal hopes the current government will approve it within two years.
He said another government led by the INDIA bloc would ensure Kerala received the institute if that does not happen.
He also said court orders apply to everyone and questioned the neutrality of election authorities.
K.C. Venugopal accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of protecting Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
He said the Congress and INDIA bloc would continue seeking free, fair and transparent elections and had asked to meet the Chief Justice of India.
Venugopal criticized the Centre for not approving an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for Kerala, despite a reported assurance in 2015.
He said he hoped the Centre would approve the institution within two years and said an INDIA bloc government would ensure it if the BJP-led government did not.
Venugopal said the law and court orders applied to everyone, and raised concerns about the Election Commission’s neutrality over its letterhead.
- Who
- Congress leader K.C. Venugopal, the Congress and the INDIA bloc.
- What
- Venugopal criticized the Centre over electoral reforms and the lack of an AIIMS in Kerala.
- Where
- Alappuzha, Kerala.
- When
- He made the remarks on Saturday; he also recalled raising the AIIMS issue in Parliament in 2015.
- Why
- He said the electoral process should be free, fair and transparent, and argued Kerala should receive an AIIMS.
Key facts
- Speaker
- K.C. Venugopal, AICC General Secretary
- Location
- Alappuzha, Kerala
- Election issue
- Venugopal accused the Centre of shielding Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar rather than addressing concerns about the electoral process.
- INDIA bloc action
- The bloc had met the President and decided to seek a meeting with the Chief Justice of India.
- Kerala AIIMS
- Venugopal said a Union Health Minister assured him in 2015 that an AIIMS would be sanctioned for Kerala the following year; he said that assurance remained unfulfilled.
- Proposed timeline
- Venugopal expressed hope the Centre would approve the institution within the next two years.
- Other remarks
- He said law and court orders applied to everyone and questioned electoral neutrality over the BJP lotus symbol appearing on an Election Commission letterhead.
Sources
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