New Delhi [India], March 21 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday alleged the integrity of India's democratic process, claiming that elections are being systematically 'manipulated, hijacked, and pressured.'

Speaking to Reporters, Raut challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi's global assertions regarding India's democracy. He called upon the United Nations to send observers to the country to witness firsthand how elections are conducted.

'Our Prime Minister Modi goes around the world talking about India's democracy. I would like to invite people from the United Nations to come to our country and see how elections are conducted here, how they are manipulated, hijacked, pressured, and even hacked. Let the world see how false these claims are. No fair elections are happening anywhere. Whether it was in Bihar or Maharashtra, none were conducted fairly,' Raut told ANI.

Raut alleged that since PM Modi and Amit Shah took power in Delhi, no election, from local village panchayats to the Lok Sabha, has been conducted fairly.

'Ever since Narendra Modi and Amit Shah came to power in Delhi, not a single election in this country has been fair, whether it is a village panchayat election, municipal elections, or even Lok Sabha elections. Earlier, booths were captured; now new methods are used, money, power, manipulation of voter lists, and more,' Raut added.

He also stated that the Election Commission is no longer an impartial body, alleging that in West Bengal, an undeclared President's Rule has been imposed; I would even call it an undeclared emergency.

Raut said that if there had been a BJP government in West Bengal, there would have been bloodshed, because they want to win Bengal at any cost, and not through democratic means. 'The kind of politics the BJP plays across the country, they want to play an even worse game in Bengal. So far, Mamata Didi and her party have not allowed the BJP's tactics to succeed, and they will not allow it in the future either.'

Future, he added, 'In West Bengal, within 24 hours, the Chief Secretary, Additional Director General, Deputy Inspector General of Police, District Magistrates, over a hundred officials, are transferred, and people are brought in who, despite wearing uniforms, act like BJP workers. What is this? Is this a democracy? Are these elections? This is like a gang war. Just like Mumbai had the underworld of Dawood Ibrahim, this is the BJP's gang, an underworld being deployed in West Bengal against Mamata Didi. But Mamata Didi will not lose; the people are with her.'

He also said, 'Modi ji, if you lose one or two states, what's the problem? If the opposition wins, why does it trouble you? Why do you want to forcefully take control of states that are not with you? How will this work?'

Raut also challenged PM Modi, stating that large-scale changes of officials are being done in West Bengal, then do the same in Gujarat and Assam, alleged that there is no difference left between the Election Commission, the Supreme Court, the judiciary, and the BJP, as they are all the same.

'If elections were truly fair, Modi ji would lose in Gujarat as well. If such large-scale changes of officials are being done in West Bengal, then do the same in Gujarat and Assam. In fact, Assam needs such changes even more. The kind of game being played in West Bengal is not needed there; it is needed in Assam. In Assam, there is no difference between the Election Commission and the Supreme Court. We have been fighting this battle for four years. The way our party was broken, Balasaheb Thackeray's and Uddhav Thackeray's party was handed over to random people. Sharad Pawar is still alive, yet his party was given to Ajit Pawar. The Election Commission, the Supreme Court, the judiciary, and the BJP are all the same; they are not separate,' said Raut. (ANI)