The political climate in India has intensified following the Election Commission of India's (ECI) ultimatum to Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The controversy centers around Gandhi's "vote chori" remarks, which have been perceived as a direct challenge to the electoral process's integrity.
The ECI has demanded that Gandhi either substantiate his claims with evidence through an affidavit within seven days or issue a public apology. The Commission has made it clear that failure to comply will result in the allegations being deemed false.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expressed support for the ECI's directive, urging Gandhi to adhere to the Commission's demands. Union Minister Giriraj Singh criticized Gandhi, questioning the validity of his claims and accusing him of spreading confusion.
Singh stated, "The Election Commission had clearly said they must file an affidavit within seven days, otherwise he (LoP Gandhi) should apologise to the people. I want to ask, today is August 18, till now, how many names has he found to be wrong and submitted to the Election Commission? Spreading confusion will not help."
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya echoed similar sentiments, accusing Gandhi of undermining constitutional institutions and spreading chaos. Maurya emphasized the importance of following proper procedures when raising objections to the voter list publication and revision.
He remarked, "Rahul Gandhi has been spreading chaos and questioning constitutional institutions. Every process has a proper procedure; if a political party has objections to the voter list publication and revision, it can raise them officially."
Opposition's stance and defense
Despite the mounting pressure, the Opposition has stood firm in its defense of Gandhi, asserting that he has spoken the truth and has no reason to apologize. Congress MP Pramod Tiwari defended Gandhi, urging the Chief Election Commissioner to maintain the dignity of his office.
Tiwari argued, "I would like to tell Gyanesh Kumar that, as the respected Chief Election Commissioner holding a constitutional position, he should maintain the dignity of his office. The way he conducted the press conference, the term 'vote theft' seems too mild. If citizens are unable to exercise their rights, who else will safeguard them? I urge him to act responsibly and ensure nothing happens that would make people lose faith in him."
Congress MP Imran Masood also expressed unwavering support for Gandhi, declaring, "Apology from LoP Rahul Gandhi? Why should he apologise? Rahul Gandhi will not apologise. Whatever he has said, he has said it boldly and with conviction."
Masood criticized the ECI for failing to address the core issues raised by the Opposition, stating, "They didn't even touch upon the very question that has created an uproar across the entire country. They didn't mention that at all. They didn't even bring up the Lok Sabha, where so many fake voters were caught and identified. There was no mention of that either."
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also criticized the Commission, accusing it of acting as a tool for the BJP to target the Opposition. Chaturvedi remarked, "We did not get any concrete answers to our questions. It was merely a script being read out, seemingly drafted from the BJP office and aimed at targeting the Opposition. Today, it has become clear that the Election Commission is misusing its authority, while the BJP is using it as a tool to attack the Opposition."
