Red Herring: Oppn Slams Centre over Formation of Panel on 'One Nation, One Election'

Opposition leaders on Friday hit out at the BJP-led government over the formation of a committee on 'One Nation, One Election', accusing it of running the country through speculation and rumour, and asked it to be transparent.

"The question is where is the draft. Basically what you are trying to do is run a country by speculation and rumour. If you have an agenda, put it before the nation," Congress leader Manish Tewari told IANS reacting to the formation of a panel on 'One Nation, One Election'.

Attacking the ruling BJP, the former Union Minister further said, "Whatever is your agenda for the special session of Parliament in a transparent manner put it before the country."

The government cannot run a country by "conjecture, rumour and innuendo", he added.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena-UBT leader Priyanka Chaturvedi while echoing a similar sentiment, said the panel is nothing but a "red herring" to take attention away from I.N.D.I.A and people’s agenda.

"There have been three committees on One Nation, One Election constituted earlier and reports submitted as well. So this 4th committee is nothing but a red herring to take attention away from INDIA and people’s agenda," the Rajya Sabha MP wrote on X (formerly Twitter), in an apparent reference to the I.N.D.I.A bloc meeting being held in Mumbai.

Attacking the ruling dispensation while highlighting several issues, including, price rise and China, Chaturvedi said, "When will GoI form a committee on Record breaking price rise? Record unemployment ? Growing atrocities against women ? Adani Group financial fraud? Farmers unrest? China adding AP, Aksai Chin in its territorial map?."

"Till the core issues are unresolved this is nothing but a distraction," she added.

The government has reportedly constituted the committee on 'One Nation, One Election' to look into all of its aspects. The panel will be headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind.