Rahul Gandhi Links ‘Vote Chori’ To 'Kanoon Chori,' Demands CEC’s Resignation

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday intensified his criticism of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Narendra Modi-led government, alleging irregularities in the electoral process and questioning the legitimacy of laws passed by Parliament.

In a press conference at Congress headquarters in New Delhi, Gandhi had said that “vote chori” leads to “kanoon chori,” which meant that if the votes were tainted, then the laws and institutional changes effected by the representatives of the people elected on the basis of those votes is also questioned.

He remarked, “From vote chori comes kanoon chori. Today the vote is gone, the law-making system is gone. If the vote has been stolen, then any law, any institutional change that the lawmakers who have been voted to Parliament through vote chori have made is also illegal".

Gandhi denounced the Election Commission for its failure to safeguard the voters' rights and claimed that the election was essential for the working of the Constitution and the democratic system. He had asked for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar at the earliest.

Allegations against the Election Commission

Gandhi’s remarks came amid renewed political controversy over the Election Commission’s functioning and the nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

An Indian Express report had claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over a 10-month period on various decisions of the poll panel. The reported concerns included issues related to voter registration, deletion of names and electoral-roll data.

The Election Commission, however, has said that differing views and written observations are part of normal institutional deliberations and maintained that its decisions over the past year were taken unanimously.

Gandhi questions recent election outcomes

Gandhi also alleged that the elections in the country, including the Assembly polls in 2024 have been manipulated. The Congress has been discussing what it termed suspension of the anti-incumbency rules, he added, citing elections in various states like Haryana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

He argued that the Election Commission could not be silent on the issue of protecting the electoral process and that any compromise in the electoral process would have far-reaching consequences on the Constitution and the institutions.

Gandhi also added that PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had undermined democratic institutions. These claims are political allegations and have not been established as facts.

The controversy have now reached a stage where opposition parties have called for action against CEC Gyanesh Kumar while the controversy has been mushrooming. The INDIA bloc is also preparing a fresh removal motion against him in Parliament, according to reports.

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Susmita Modak

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Always love to raise the unraised matter. In a world of worries, I am always ready to come over my comfort zone and taking the step ahead of spreading awareness.

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