‘Returning Officers were compromised’: Meenakshi Natarajan on cancellation of RS nomination

New Delhi: In the wake of the cancellation of her Rajya Sabha nomination from Madhya Pradesh, Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan on Wednesday alleged that the Returning Officers (ROs) were “compromised” and acting on the behest of the government.

Natarajan was the Congress’ lone Rajya Sabha candidate from Madhya Pradesh, but her nomination papers were cancelled after the BJP raised a major objection against her, alleging that she had concealed information about a case pending in a Telangana court.

Talking to IANS, Natarajan said: “We are in a battlefield where Congress leaders are not only fighting against an opposition party. Unfortunately, the institutions that our constitutional forefathers created are now being disrespected, and they appear to be influenced in a way that makes us feel we are also fighting against them.”

“How can one not know how to fill a form? There is nothing legal or technical in this. This is just a political malintent which we saw at every step yesterday, how efforts were being made to subvert democracy,” she said.

Launching a harsh critique against the BJP-led Central government, she said: “I will say this with full responsibility that the returning officers yesterday were compromised. They were working as spokespersons and as the frontal organisation heads of the current government.”

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) will meet a Congress delegation on Wednesday to discuss the party’s objections to the rejection of Natarajan’s nomination.

On this, the Congress leader said: “Somewhere we still have faith in the Constitutional establishments that somebody will still have conscience left with them, who can think of taking decisions based on constitutionality.”

According to the objection filed against Natarajan’s nomination, former corporate executive A. Srilatha has petitioned the Fourth Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court, alleging that Natarajan provided political patronage to Kumbham Shivakumar Reddy, against whom Srilatha has levelled serious allegations, including molestation and death threats.

Natarajan, however, has dismissed the allegations as a “political conspiracy” and opposed Srilatha’s petition before a Hyderabad court, claiming that it was an attempt to malign her reputation.

IANS