BJP Slams Rahul Gandhi Over EC Allegations, Calls It Chaos Politics
BJP accuses Rahul of undermining democracy, defends Election Commission against vote theft claims.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of pursuing an "infiltrators first" agenda by undermining constitutional institutions like the Election Commission (EC), claiming his attacks aim to incite unrest similar to recent upheavals in Nepal and Bangladesh. Former Union minister Anurag Thakur alleged that Gandhi's opposition to the EC's electoral roll review protects illegal voters at the expense of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes, framing it as a ploy to shield non-citizens in the voting process.
Gandhi, in a media presentation earlier this week, intensified his "vote chori" narrative, accusing Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of safeguarding "vote thieves" who have eroded democracy. Citing data from the Aland assembly constituency in Karnataka, he alleged systematic deletions of Congress supporters' names from voter lists ahead of polls, vowing to reveal more evidence akin to a "hydrogen bomb". This marks the latest in Gandhi's post-election critiques of electronic voting machines and the EC, which he claims enable large-scale fraud.
The EC swiftly dismissed the allegations as "incorrect and baseless", clarifying that no public deletions can occur online and noting an FIR filed in 2023 over unsuccessful tampering attempts in Aland. Details were shared with Karnataka's CID, yet Thakur criticised the Congress-ruled state for inaction. He urged Gandhi to file an affidavit or approach courts, as demanded by the EC, rather than resorting to "hit-and-run" tactics, referencing past judicial setbacks for Congress in cases like Rafale.
Also Read: Rahul Gandhi Accuses CEC of Vote Theft, EC Denies Allegations
Thakur defended the EC's impartiality by highlighting Congress's historical ties to former Chief Election Commissioners, including M.S. Gill's ministerial role and T.N. Seshan's poll candidacy under the party banner. He cited the UPA's controversial 2009 appointment of Navin Chawla despite allegations of misconduct. Amid the row, Thakur pointed to a recent Karnataka High Court order for a vote recount in the Malur constituency, where a Congress legislator's win was challenged—questioning if such outcomes stemmed from the very "vote chori" Gandhi decries. The exchange underscores deepening partisan divides over electoral integrity ahead of future polls.
Also Read: Akhilesh Criticises 'Jugaad Commission' Over Voter Fraud Claims
