Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged that elections are being rigged in the country, from the 2024 Lok Sabha polls to several Assembly elections.
Addressing
a press conference in New Delhi, Gandhi referred to reported dissent by two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi , over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
“Elections are being rigged, from Lok Sabha to state Assemblies. Two Election Commissioners are raising questions about Gyanesh Kumar. I have been asking questions, but they never answered. Gyanesh Kumar was chosen by PM Modi and Shah. Gyanesh Kumar needs to resign immediately. Gyanesh ji is a very educated man, but he needs to understand that what he has done is an attack on the Constitution of India,” he said.
Gandhi’s remarks came after The Indian Express reported that Sandhu and Joshi had repeatedly raised questions within the three-member Election Commission over issues related to the SIR. The report said the two commissioners had formally objected at least 14 times over the last 10 months to decisions and orders they said were taken without their knowledge.
The Election Commission, however, has maintained that differing views and observations are part of its internal deliberations and that decisions relating to the SIR were taken unanimously.
‘Anti-Incumbency Has Disappeared’
Rahul Gandhi also questioned what he described as the absence of anti-incumbency in recent elections.
“I come from a political family, I know how anti-incumbency works. It doesn’t spare any party. Indira Gandhiji won Bangladesh and was at the height of her popularity, but after two years, they had a massive defeat. It happens with everyone. But it doesn’t happen to BJP, Modi and Amit Shah,” he said.
“Anti-incumbency has disappeared now. Take any recent state election. We don’t understand how anti-incumbency disappears. We can understand the popularity of a leader, but how does anti-incumbency never come? Anti-incumbency doesn’t exist in Saddam Hussein’s regime; similarly, it is not here as well,” he added.
‘Attack On The Expression Of Every Single Person’
Rahul Gandhi said the issue goes beyond individual votes and alleged that the electoral process itself was under threat.
“This is not just an attack on the vote, but it is an attack on the expression of every single person. The EC is the protector of the votes. If the vote is destroyed, the Constitution is not working, institutions are not working,” he said.
“We are not going to sit silent when our votes are destroyed. They all will be punished, if not today, but tomorrow. I respect the two Election Commissioners for coming out,” Gandhi said.
He also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah would eventually face scrutiny over the matter.
“PM and HM both will be investigated for what they have done. They are on top of this conspiracy. This is an act against the state, against India’s people,” he said.
