Union minister Pankaj Chaudhary accuses opposition of weakening democracy

Bahraich/Shravasti (UP), Jul 13 (PTI) Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary on Monday accused the opposition parties of attempting to weaken India's democracy by repeatedly targeting constitutional institutions, asserting that the ruling BJP would return to power in Uttar Pradesh for a third consecutive term in the 2027 assembly elections. Addressing separate press conferences during his visit to Bahraich and Shravasti, the UP BJP chief said it had become a "practice" for the opposition to level allegations against government bodies, such as the Election Commission, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). "Sometimes they target the Election Commission, sometimes the ED and sometimes the CBI. By attacking all constitutional institutions, they are trying to weaken the country's democracy," he said. Responding to a question on the Ram temple donation theft case, Chaudhary said the incident has caused pain to devotees, but he maintained that the government had acted promptly. "Lord Ram resides in our hearts. The Ram temple is the centre of our faith. We are deeply pained by the incident, but the government's swift action, the constitution of an SIT and the arrest of several accused make it clear that no guilty person, whether big or small, will be spared," he said. He added that the temple trust was working on a mechanism to prevent recurrence of such incidents and would place its proposal before the Supreme Court. Claiming that the Uttar Pradesh government was pursuing development without discrimination, Chaudhary alleged that the opposition had run out of issues and that parties within the INDIA bloc were accusing one another. He also claimed that the INDIA bloc would disintegrate before the next elections as its members were changing sides in pursuit of power. During his interaction with party workers, the BJP leader reviewed organisational preparedness for the upcoming elections. Earlier in Shravasti, Chaudhary targeted Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, saying he was "daydreaming" about returning to power. He said the opposition had managed limited success in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by misleading voters, but claimed that people in UP had now understood the reality and would not be misled again. "The BJP will form the government for the third consecutive time in Uttar Pradesh in 2027 and complete a hat-trick," he asserted. On recurring floods in areas bordering Nepal, the Union minister described the issue as serious, noting that parts of his own parliamentary constituency were affected every year. He said floodwaters from open drainage channels in Nepal inundated adjoining Indian border areas during the monsoon and stressed that a lasting solution would require bilateral engagement. "The government is working on a plan, but it is not possible without talks with Nepal. Efforts are being made to evolve an effective flood-control mechanism through discussions with the Nepal government," he said. Rejecting reports of differences within the BJP organisation, Chaudhary said the party functioned as a democratic family where workers were regarded as the backbone of the organisation. He said future organisational appointments would be made after consulting party workers. "Earlier, India's voice carried little weight globally. Today, the world listens to what India says," he said, adding that development was visible from the Northeast and Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, while remaining shortcomings were being addressed. PTI COR ABN KSI KSI