Rahul Gandhi Claims Election Manipulation by Modi and Shah
In a recent press conference, Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress Party, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of orchestrating rigged elections in India. This statement comes amidst ongoing concerns over the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) management of voter list updates, which has sparked widespread criticism.
On Thursday, Gandhi specifically called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, following a report from the Indian Express. The report indicated that two fellow election commissioners had raised 14 objections over the past ten months regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. One complaint suggested that the ECI acted against the recommendations of the two commissioners and labeled its actions as “unauthorized and illegal.”
The SIR process, which the ECI states is meant to remove deceased, relocated, and duplicate voters and to prevent the inclusion of illegal immigrants, has faced backlash. Critics argue that it has improperly removed millions of eligible voters, thereby benefiting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Gandhi emphasized the significance of voting in a democracy, stating, “If the vote has been destroyed, then our Constitution has been destroyed. It no longer has power.” He further alleged that Kumar’s promotion to the head of the Election Commission was facilitated by Modi and Shah without considering opposition views, labeling them as key figures in a larger conspiracy and calling for an investigation into their actions.
In response to Gandhi’s allegations, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi defended the ECI’s actions. He asserted that the SIR process was legally sound and based on a majority consensus among the commissioners, emphasizing that the law grants the ECI the authority to carry out the SIR as deemed necessary.
