Mumbai: An editorial published by the Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece Saamna has slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing the party of neglecting serious national issues to focus on the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.

According to the editorial, “The schedule for the Delhi Assembly elections has been announced. Voting will take place on February 5, and the results will be declared on February 8. Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Shah, and central ministers of the BJP have fully thrown themselves into this election.”

“The BJP’s goal is to defeat Arvind Kejriwal and take control of the Delhi Assembly. Meanwhile, China has infiltrated Ladakh and settled two villages. Naxals have killed 10-15 police officers in Chhattisgarh. Violence continues unabated in Manipur. In a state like Maharashtra, daylight murders are happening, and the killers have the government’s protection,” the Saamna editorial read.

Editorial Accuses BJP Of Resorting To Extreme Measures To Defeat AAP

The published editorial accused the BJP of resorting to extreme measures to defeat the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

“All in all, the BJP’s policy seems to be that focusing on these serious issues is foolish, and defeating the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi is the most important matter. The BJP has decided to go to any lengths to achieve this. The BJP’s approach is that they will win everywhere and sit in power.”

Argument Made By The Editorial

The editorial argues that a “new form of democracy” has taken root in India, one that focuses on eliminating every political rival through questionable means.

“A new form of democracy has emerged in the country, one that doesn’t want to leave a single political opponent alive, and the direct example of this was seen in Maharashtra and Haryana. Now, it is Delhi’s turn,” the editorial added.

Allegation Made By The Editorial

The editorial alleged that there are “discrepancies in the voter list of Delhi” and that “Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has complained that citizens from Eastern Uttar Pradesh have been removed from the list by labelling them as Rohingyas or Bangladeshis.”

According to the editorial the Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar is in denial and questioned, “What world is Rajiv Kumar living in? Wasn’t Trump elected as US President after an EVM scandal?”

The editorial referred to Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s claims that EVMs can be hacked and pointed to various instances in the U.S. where the integrity of the electoral process was questioned.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece went further, alleging the BJP of securing victories through dishonest means. “The victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party, i.e., Modi-Shah, is never straightforward. They have achieved every win through crooked means, often by rigging the system,” the party stated. It cited the 2019 Maharashtra elections, where the BJP reportedly contested 132 seats but ended up with 120, a performance the Shiv Sena (UBT) described as an “anomaly”.

“What extraordinary work did the Shinde faction do in Maharashtra to win 58 seats?” the editorial remarked, referring to the Shiv Sena faction that defected to the BJP.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) further accused the Election Commission of playing a biased role in the Maharashtra political crisis, specifically over the decision to award the Shiv Sena’s “bow-and-arrow” symbol to the rival faction in Thane.

Editorial Takes A Dig At ECI

The editorial taking a dig at ECI wrote, “They gave the clock symbol of the Nationalist Congress Party to Ajit Pawar during Sharad Pawar’s lifetime, should not speak of transparency and morality.”

According to the editorial, “However, they (ECI) should remember that Modi and Shah are not immortal; they will have to account for their actions. Hence, times will change, and everyone will have to answer for their sins. The Delhi Assembly elections could prove to be the spark for BJP’s downfall”

Editorial Takes A Potshot At The Congress Party

The editorial also took a potshot at the Congress party, questioning its priorities. “While the country is fighting against the Modi-Shah dictatorship, the Congress is throwing mud at AAP rather than the BJP,” the mouth piece read, expressing bewilderment over Congress’s decision to focus on Kejriwal’s AAP rather than targeting the BJP.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece voiced concerns about the role of the Delhi Lieutenant Governor. “The Lieutenant Governor is currently acting as an agent of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Once the Model Code of Conduct is enforced, all powers of the Chief Minister and Ministers in Delhi are supposed to be stripped, but the Lieutenant Governor is doing the BJP’s bidding. This is dangerous,” them editorial warned.