Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that removing even a single voter’s name from the electoral rolls amounts to “vote chori” and asserted that those responsible would be held accountable. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha made the remarks while referring to residents of the Bela Estate area in the national capital, where he alleged that a large number of voters had been removed from the electoral rolls.

Gandhi shared a video of his visit to a cluster of jhuggis in Bela Estate, located along the Yamuna, on Monday evening. In a social media post accompanying it, he said residents had lived in the area for generations and worked as farmers and labourers while participating in elections. He alleged that the names of 728 of the 729 voters in the cluster had been struck off the electoral rolls.

Questioning the situation, Gandhi asked whether people should lose their rights as citizens because they are poor or homeless. He claimed that the residents possessed documents establishing their Indian identity but were being made to approach different government offices and officials regarding their electoral status. He linked the issue to the constitutional principle of one person, one vote.

Also Read: Smriti Irani Questions Congress On Duplicate, Deceased Names In Electoral Rolls

“Erasing even a single vote” was not merely an administrative action but “vote chori”, Gandhi said, adding that everyone involved, from the lowest to the highest level, would be held accountable. In a separate social media post, he also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi uses Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to “steal elections”. These remarks were made in the context of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Gandhi had earlier described the SIR exercise as a method of “vote chori” following his visit to Bela Estate. His latest remarks came days after The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected on record at least 14 times over a 10-month period to decisions and orders related to the SIR, which they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.

The Election Commission has rejected concerns suggesting that such differences undermine the process, stating that differing views and observations are a normal part of institutional deliberations. The poll panel has maintained that its orders carry full legal sanction and are issued in accordance with established statutory procedures. Gandhi’s allegations and the Election Commission’s response come amid continuing political debate over the SIR exercise and the integrity of electoral rolls.

Also Read: Iran’s Ghalibaf Warns Regional Oil Exports At Risk Without Security Guarantees