"All those raising questions on EVMs are same who once used to loot ballots": CM Yogi

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 27 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attacked the opposition alliance and said that Congress and the INDIA bloc are raising questions on the EVM but they are the same people who once used to loot ballots.
"Seeing its impending, clear defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress is blaming the EVM," he said.
Addressing the media at his official residence on Saturday, the Chief Minister said that Congress has written in its manifesto that minorities will be given the right to their preferred food. Which food of the minorities is different from that of the rest of the community, he quipped. He also questioned the silence of other allies of the INDIA bloc on this issue.
Highlighting the issue of EVMs, CM Yogi said, "Whenever the INDIA bloc faces defeat, it attempts to shift the blame for its loss onto the EVMs. We have been hearing this argument consistently since 2014."
He asked the Congress and other opposition parties whether governments were formed through ballot papers in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka last year; in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh in 2018 as well as the UPA government in 2004.
He also asked whether the governments in Delhi and Punjab were formed through ballot papers.
The Chief Minister stated that those who are rejecting the EVMs are the same ones who used to capture ballot boxes. "Since the Election Commission of India has ensured the integrity of elections using state-of-the-art technology, the opposition is attempting to vent their frustration on the EVMs. The trends of the past two phases of elections have indicated that the country is once again heading towards a Modi government," he asserted.
"The nation has decided to give 400 seats to the NDA this time. As the NDA, led by the BJP, is surging ahead, the members of the INDIA bloc are targeting the EVMs," he added.
Responding to a question on the issue of beef, the Chief Minister stated that prior to the initial voting phase, the BJP highlighted development, security, and the welfare of the underprivileged to the public. It was during this period that the Congress unveiled its manifesto, which advocates for granting the minority community freedom in dietary choices.
He said that upon seeing their manifesto, it can be said that while it may be the justice manifesto of the Congress, it is an injustice manifesto for the unity, integrity, and sovereignty of the nation. This manifesto provides freedom of food and drink to the minority community. He described the manifesto as "detrimental to the unity, integrity, and sovereignty of the nation'.
CM Yogi questioned whether the dietary preferences of minority communities are different from the rest of society, pointing out that Hindus consider the cow as sacred as their mother. "Congress is making an attempt to grant exemptions to Muslims in this regard. This will not be accepted by anyone", he remarked.
Lashing out at other allies of the INDIA bloc he said that their silence indicates their solidarity on the Congress manifesto and if they do not agree, they should clarify their stance to their partners.
The Chief Minister stated that the Congress talks about granting minority communities the right to personal law. "So, will the practice of triple talaq, which was abolished by PM Modi's government, be reinstated? Does Congress want to run a Taliban-like government in the country by implementing Sharia law", he asked.
He said, "The Congress manifesto is a betrayal of the nation. The people of the country should make their decision for the next five phases of elections after seeing the Congress manifesto. This is a betrayal of our faith, and no one will accept it."
Uttar Pradesh voted on eight parliamentary constituencies in Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Aligarh, Mathura, and Bulandshahr in the second phase of the Lok Sabha election on Friday.
The third phase of the election will be held on May 7.