Jharkhand: Congress protests against Parimal Nathwani's nomination, questions scrutiny process after Meenakshi Natarajan's rejection

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], June 10 : Congress leaders on Wednesday staged a protest outside the Jharkhand Assembly, demanding the cancellation of Rajya Sabha candidate Parimal Nathwani's nomination and alleging bias in the scrutiny of nomination papers.
The protest comes amid a political row over the rejection of Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination for the Rajya Sabha election in Madhya Pradesh. Congress leaders claimed that while alleged discrepancies in Nathwani's nomination papers were given time for clarification, Natarajan's candidature was rejected without similar consideration.
Speaking to ANI, Jharkhand Minister Irfan Ansari alleged that democracy and common people were under threat under the BJP-led government. He claimed that Nathwani's nomination papers contained five major discrepancies and said the Election Commission should cancel his nomination.
"Today, democracy is in danger. Common people are in danger, and even political parties have come under threat during the BJP's rule. I am talking about Jharkhand, where Parimal Nathwani has five major queries in his nomination papers," Ansari said.
"The Election Commission should definitely cancel his nomination. You did not cancel the election here, but where did you do it? In Madhya Pradesh, where Meenakshi Natarajan, a Dalit woman who becomes the voice of the poor in the House, was stopped despite us having sufficient votes. I want to tell the BJP not to indulge in this low-level politics, and if you do, we will take to the streets," he added.
Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain, who also participated in the protest, demanded that Nathwani's nomination be cancelled in the same manner that, according to him, Natarajan's nomination was rejected.
Hussain alleged that five discrepancies had been identified in Nathwani's nomination papers and claimed that he had been given 24 hours to respond, while Natarajan's nomination in Madhya Pradesh was cancelled within 15 minutes.
"Her nomination was cancelled within 15 minutes; it should have been cancelled here in the same way. There, only one error was pointed out, whereas here five errors were pointed out. You win elections by stealing votes, form governments by toppling governments, splitting parties and using Raj Bhavans. Today, five errors have been pointed out, but 24 hours' time has been given in Jharkhand, while within 15 minutes, the nomination of opposition candidate Meenakshi Natarajan in Madhya Pradesh was cancelled," Hussain said.
The Congress MP further alleged that the Election Commission was acting at the behest of the government and the BJP. Questioning Nathwani's candidature, he asked whether the candidate represented Jharkhand and alleged that he had been brought in from outside the state.
"When so many discrepancies were shown, instead of cancelling his nomination, he was given 24 hours. On the other hand, a nomination was cancelled in 15 minutes. What does this mean? The Election Commission is dancing to Amit Shah's tunes, to the government's tunes and to the BJP's tunes, and wants to send people to governments and the Rajya Sabha on the strength of money," Hussain alleged.