Rahul Gandhi Accuses Modi, Shah, CEC Of Destroying India's Vote

New Delhi: While the Opposition parties plan on moving an impeachment motion notice against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in both Houses of Parliament, Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and the CEC of “destroying” India’s vote. The former Congress president alleged that the 2024 Lok Sabha polls were "completely fake" and promised an investigation into “elections rigging". Fired up by the alleged irregularities in carrying out the special intensive revision (SIR), Mr Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Mr Modi, Mr Shah and Mr Kumar, calling them “deshdrohis”. The former Congress president demanded an immediate resignation of the poll panel chief, who is under fire over the alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise. “This is ‘vote chori’. From it comes ‘kanoon chori’ and ‘sanstha chori’,” he said.

Meanwhile, according to reports, the Congress is reaching out to INDIA bloc allies to build a consensus on moving an impeachment motion notice against the Chief Election Commissioner in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. "On April 24, 73 Opposition Rajya Sabha MPs had submitted a new notice of motion in the House to remove the CEC. A new notice to impeach the CEC can also be brought in the Lower House," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said.

The Congress has already called a meeting of its working committee on Tuesday to chalk out a plan against Mr. Kumar, following which an INDIA bloc meeting will take place in early October.

As the Opposition parties stepped up their attack over the Election Commission’s special intensive revision of electoral rolls, Mr Gandhi said Mr Modi and Mr Shah would be investigated for their alleged role in what he described as a conspiracy to undermine democracy.

The Congress leader also urged Mr Kumar to turn approver, saying that doing so will be an act of nationalism. Addressing a press conference at Indira Bhawan, Mr Gandhi said the Election Commission was responsible for protecting the vote, which he described as the foundation of India’s democratic and constitutional system.

“This is an attack on the Constitution and the legal structure of the country. You were supposed to ensure that the vote was protected. We have enough information to prove this with certainty… There are going to be consequences to this. We are not going to let democracy be destroyed and sit silent. Those responsible will be punished,” he added.

“Mr Modi and Mr Shah are both going to be investigated for what is being done. They are at the top of this conspiracy, and they will be investigated for what they have done to this country,” Mr Gandhi said.

Mr Gandhi’s remarks came a day after he alleged that “vote chori” was a direct attack on the Constitution and accused the BJP, the RSS and the Election Commission of committing an act of treason.

Seeking to link the alleged manipulation of electoral rolls with the BJP’s continued electoral success, Mr Gandhi played videos of Mr Modi and Mr Shah at the press conference and asked people to listen to their tone.

In one video, Mr Shah was heard saying the BJP would remain in power for 30 years, while Mr Modi was heard raising the slogan “Abki Baar 400 Paar”. Mr Gandhi said no political leader operating in a democratic environment could make such statements, arguing that anti-incumbency was a fundamental force in Indian politics.

“Indira Gandhi wins Bangladesh war and within a year or two, massive pressure mounts due to anti-incumbency. It happens to leader after leader. It does not happen to Mr Modi, Mr Shah and the BJP…now we know the answer to it,” Mr Gandhi said, asserting that he is “100 per cent certain” that Assembly elections and Lok Sabha polls had been rigged.

Earlier in the day, Mr Gandhi posted on X that the “enemies of the Constitution have been exposed” and “justice will be served”.

The five Left parties, meanwhile, announced weeklong protests against the SIR process and demanded the CEC’s removal, while the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) threatened a nationwide agitation and an indefinite sit-in in Delhi if Mr Kumar did not resign within 48 hours.

Besides demanding the removal of Mr Kumar, the CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML)-Liberation, Revolutionary Socialist Party and the All India Forward Bloc sought an immediate halt to the SIR process.

At a meeting, CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby, CPI general secretary D. Raja and CPI(ML)-Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya announced a week-long nationwide protest from September 26 to October 2.

They demanded restoration of voting rights to those “wrongfully excluded” from electoral rolls and measures to restore the credibility and independent functioning of the Election Commission. “The report is an indictment of the office of the CEC, which stands compromised,” the Left parties said.

The Left parties demanded an alternative mechanism for appointing election commissioners, based on the Supreme Court’s proposed selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India.