"Who's the source?", asks Adhir Ranjan on allegations that he consented to 'One Nation, One Poll' panel

New Delhi [India], September 4 (ANI): Responding to an allegation by the government source that Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary first gave consent for 'One Nation, One Poll' panel but refused later, the latter asked, "Who is the source"?
Speaking to ANI, Chowdhary asked, "Who is the source"?
"The government does not dare to reveal who was the source. Why can't the source talk face-to-face? There must be a name of the source", Chowdhary said. 
"Agar himmat hai toh samne aao, (If you have the courage, come in front)", the Congress leader added. 
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who declined to serve on the panel formed by the Centre to examine ‘One Nation, One Election’ had given his consent to be part of the committee before notification with names came out, a source in the government had said on Sunday.
Chowdhury, who was named a member of the High-Level Committee (HLC) constituted by the Centre on Saturday to examine ‘One Nation, One Election’ has declined to serve on the panel, saying its “terms of reference have been prepared in a manner to guarantee its conclusions”.
He wrote to Union Home Minister on Sunday refusing to be a part of the panel.
Meanwhile, Chowdhary said to ANI, "On the night of August 31 at 11:00 a.m., a PMO official, Mishraji, called my secretary. He enquired about my well-being. I asked him why he had called me late at night. He said that the government is forming a committee on 'One Nation, One Poll', and it wants you to be a part of it". 
"I asked him to send the related papers and said that I would ponder over it", the Congress leader added. 
"They (Central Government) have pegasus, ED and CBI. Find out what I said and put me and Mishraji behind bars", he further said. 
The Union Law Ministry on Saturday named eight members to the committee, headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, that will examine the issue of simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, Assemblies, municipalities and panchayats.
Apart from the Chairperson, the committee will include Home Minister Amit Shah, Chowdhury, former Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Finance Commission chairperson NK Singh, senior advocate Harish Salve, former Lok Sabha Secretary General Subhash C Kashyap, and former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari.
The committee has been set up months before assembly polls in five states and ahead of Lok Sabha polls next year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has several times pitched the idea of One Nation, One Election. In November 2020 while addressing a conference of presiding officers he said, “One nation, one election is not only a subject of debate but a necessity for India. There is an election in India every month, which hampers development. Why should the country waste so much money?”
If 'One Nation, One Election' does come into effect it could mean that elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies across India will be held simultaneously. (ANI)