New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday intensified his attack on the Election Commission, alleging large-scale irregularities in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and declaring that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar would eventually be removed from office and face jail.
Addressing the INDIA bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, Gandhi accused the ruling BJP of manipulating electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter lists to influence election results.
“This theft of votes is no ordinary theft. This is the theft of every voice of India. This is called treason,” Gandhi said.
He alleged that voter list manipulation and the removal of names after the 2024 elections had affected the electoral outcome. Claiming that there was a three per cent difference between the INDIA bloc and the NDA, he described the election as illegal and questioned the Election Commission’s role.
Gandhi also accused the RSS of exercising influence over several national institutions, including educational bodies and investigative agencies. He said the alleged concentration of institutional power was affecting the rights of farmers, labourers and young people.
Calling for the protection of democratic institutions, Gandhi said the Constitution must remain supreme and that his party would oppose attempts to weaken democracy.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also addressed the gathering, accusing the BJP of coming to power through alleged vote theft. He questioned the legitimacy of governments in Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s removal.
Several INDIA bloc leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, attended the rally organised against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged irregularities in the election process.
The opposition march began from the Minto Road and Connaught Place junction before proceeding towards Ramlila Maidan. The gathering followed a public programme seeking the impeachment of the Chief Election Commissioner on October 31.
Meanwhile, the BJP organised a counter campaign under its ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao’ banner. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan participated in a march in Faridabad, accusing the Congress of losing faith in democratic institutions.
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat also defended the SIR exercise during a press conference in Goa, describing it as a constitutional process intended to strengthen electoral transparency.
Shekhawat argued that migration, urbanisation and population changes had created discrepancies in voter lists. He claimed that approximately 13 crore entries had been removed during different phases of the revision, including 2.8 crore names of deceased individuals, while 1.9 crore new voters had been added.
He questioned the Congress’s opposition to the exercise, arguing that accurate electoral rolls were essential to maintaining the credibility and integrity of elections.
