Save Voting Right to Save Constitution, Says Congress

New Delhi: Taking the attack to the BJP over the alleged election irregularities, the Congress on Sunday held the “Vote Chor Gaddi Chhod” rally at the Ramlila Maidan in the national capital. Addressing the rally, top Congress leaders accused the BJP-led NDA government and the Election Commission (EC) of “collusion to manipulate elections” and vowed to remove the “Narendra Modi-RSS government” from power.

Leading the Congress charge, Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission and mentioned the names of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi to allege that they are working for the BJP.

“We will stand with satya (truth) and will remove the Narendra Modi-RSS government from power. They have satta (power) and they indulge in ‘vote chori’,” Gandhi said.

Addressing the rally, Gandhi claimed that the BJP transferred Rs.10,000 to each woman voter during the Bihar elections, but the poll panel did not take any action against them. “In this fight between truth and untruth, the Election Commission is working with the BJP government,” he said.

Targeting Union home minister Amit Shah, Gandhi said that his hands were trembling when he asked questions of him in Parliament. Speaking about the Prime Minister, he said, “Modi Ji has lost his confidence… Just look at his face. He knows his vote chori has been caught.”

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge attacked the BJP, saying those indulging in vote chori are “gaddars” (traitors) and need to be removed from power to save the voting right and the Constitution. He said it is the duty of all Indians to unitedly strengthen the Congress ideology, as only this party can save the country.

The Congress president alleged that the RSS ideology will “finish the nation”. “The BJP people are gaddars and dramebaaz (indulge in theatrics). They need to be removed from power,” Kharge said.

Taking a dig at the BJP, Kharge said its leaders often question whether Mr Gandhi travels abroad after Parliament sessions, while Modi himself frequently travels overseas and rarely attends Parliament during sessions. "They are sitting in power after committing vote chori, and we will have to remove these traitors from power," he said.

Addressing the rally against "vote theft", Congress Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said every step of the poll process arouses suspicion and asserted that the Chief Election Commissioner and the two election commissioners must answer how they “conspired” to take away people's voting rights. She said the BJP will not be able to save them, as one day they will be forced to answer for “conspiring” to take away people’s votes.

“I challenge the BJP to contest polls on ballot paper. They know they will never win,” Vadra said, adding, “You should not lose heart over losing Bihar. The entire country knows the BJP wins through vote theft.”

Alleging that elections are not being conducted properly, Ms Vadra said that when we see every institution being crushed, all Indians should rise against it.

At the rally, Congress leader Sachin Pilot alleged that the Modi government is hollowing out institutions, as he called on the people to ensure that the election structure works impartially and Indian democracy remains exemplary.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar asserted that the Congress party’s rally against alleged vote chori is to protect every citizen’s right to vote. Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu accused the BJP of weakening democracy by forming governments through vote theft and weakening the power of the votes of people.