‘Murder of democracy’: Congress on Natarajan's Rajya Sabha rejection

The Congress on Tuesday, 9 June, accused the BJP of engineering the rejection of senior party leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination, describing the move as a “murder of democracy” and alleging a concerted attempt to prevent her entry into the Upper House.

The Election Commission rejected Natarajan’s nomination during scrutiny after objections were raised over the alleged non-disclosure of a pending criminal case in Telangana where she was in charge of the party.

Within 30 minutes, the Congress approached the Election Commission seeking an urgent hearing. A party delegation led by Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal reached the EC office to submit a memorandum in Delhi. The delegation, however, was not allowed to meet Election Commission officials, following which Congress leaders sat on dharna.

Calling the development a direct assault on democratic norms, Venugopal said: “This is a clear-cut case of the murder of democracy. If even a small element of democracy remains in this country, the Election Commission must intervene in this matter without delay. If they grant us an appointment tomorrow morning, we are prepared to wait until then. Otherwise, we will pursue all available legal options.”

The controversy unfolded amid high political drama in Madhya Pradesh. Earlier in the day, Congress leaders alleged that party MLAs were prevented from flying to Bengaluru. Following the rejection of Natarajan’s nomination, the flight carrying the legislators was reportedly recalled from the runway.

According to some reports, the Election Commission has accepted the Congress memorandum and is expected to seek a report from the Returning Officer.

Addressing media, Natarajan alleged this was an attempt by the BJP to manipulate the Rajya Sabha election.

“It all began when the ruling BJP fielded a third candidate despite lacking the requisite numerical strength. It became evident that they were engaging in politics aimed at trampling upon the Constitution and democratic values,” she said.

Notably, Natarajan’s nomination was rejected on the final day of scrutiny, leaving the Congress without the option of fielding a replacement candidate as the deadline for filing nominations had already ended on 8 June.

The objection against her nomination was raised by senior BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya. The complaint alleged that Natarajan had failed to disclose a case pending against her before a court in Telangana in her election affidavit.

Alleging a larger political conspiracy, Natarajan said the BJP was attempting to subvert the electoral process.

“They are trying to manipulate the Rajya Sabha election just as they did in Madhya Pradesh earlier. This is not merely about a Rajya Sabha seat or a particular candidate. It is about the larger battle for the idea of India and the defence of democracy that Rahul Gandhi is fighting today,” she said.

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath also accused the BJP of resorting to unfair tactics to wrest a Congress seat.

“The BJP is breaking every norm of political propriety to snatch a Congress Rajya Sabha seat. First, permission for the flight carrying Congress MLAs was delayed. Then, a malicious objection was filed against Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination. Finally, BJP leaders created a ruckus within the Assembly premises,” Kamal Nath said in a post on social media.