Indian Overseas Congress calls election results 'resounding endorsement of Constitution'

New York, June 5 (IANS) The Indian Overseas Congress-USA (IOC-USA) on Tuesday called the parliamentary election results “a resounding endorsement of the current constitutional framework, envisioned and implemented by (Jawaharlal) Nehru and (B.R.) Ambedkar”.

“We are all once again reminded that democracy is not a majoritarian rule but respects diversity and facilitates equal justice regardless of caste, creed, language, religion, or region,” the organisation’s Vice Chairman, George Abraham, said in a statement.

Referring to the role of the group’s members, he said: “We express our special gratitude to all those IOC volunteers from across the globe who participated in the electoral process to save democracy back in their motherland.”

The National Democratic Alliance coalition won 294 seats, assuring it a majority for a third term in the 543-member Lok Sabha.

But the Congress party had more than doubled its strength from the 46 it had won in the last election, with the INDIA bloc winning a total of 231 seats as of Tuesday night.

“We at the Overseas Congress salute the INDIA coalition and its leaders, especially AICC (All India Congress Committee) President Mallikarjun Kharge, and Rahul Gandhi, for their tireless efforts in getting the message to the people, which elicited the current response through the ballot boxes,” Abraham said.

He added: “If Prime Minister Narendra Modi and (Home Minister) Amit Shah persist in governing India through their makeshift coalition, it is imperative for them to uphold the Constitution.”

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)

–IANS

al/pgh