Rahul Gandhi claims 'proof of huge criminal fraud' in polls
New Delhi, Aug 7: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday cited an analysis of data from a Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka from the 2024 elections to make explosive claims of "huge criminal fraud" in polls perpetrated by the BJP through the Election Commission, and asserted that this was a "crime" against the Constitution. "This is EC data, and the EC is saying it is getting free and fair polls done. In one assembly segment, one lakh fake voters are there, we are telling the people of the country, this is your future.
The whole system is being stolen. This evidence is 100 per cent in black and white," the Congress leader asserted.
"We see there is a pattern, we are absolutely convinced that this crime is being done on a huge scale across the country in state after state after state. CCTV footage and voter list are evidence in crime and the Election Commission is trying to destroy it," he alleged.
"I want the nation to know that there is a huge criminal fraud being perpetrated on this country. It is being done by the Election Commission and the party in power and we have given you undoubtable proof," he said. "If the Election Commission now does not give us electronic voter data of the last 10-15 years, and if it does not share the CCTV footage, they are partaking in the crime," he said. Gandhi also batted for the judiciary to get involved in the issue. "I think the judiciary needs to get involved in this. We need to understand what is going on. Because, what we love so much -- our democracy, doesn't exist. "What is the difference between us and other places, it is the democracy, it's gone... if this is true," he said.
In a warning to those involved in perpetrating "electoral fraud", Gandhi said there are going to be consequences for every single polling officer who is doing this. "It doesn't matter how senior or junior you are. One day, the Opposition is going to come to power and then you see what we do to you; because you are attacking the foundation of what our forefathers who fought for India's freedom built and we are not going to allow you to do that, no matter who you are," he said. Gandhi said his message to the Election Commission is that they are not in the business of destroying Indian democracy but in the business of protecting it. "This is a crime that is being committed against the Indian Constitution, against the Indian flag. This is nothing less than that," he said, alleging poll rigging in various parts of the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the PM with a slender majority and needed to "steal" only 25 seats to stay in power, he said, adding the BJP won 25 seats in the Lok Sabha polls with less than 33,000 votes.
He said the foundation of the Constitution is based on the fact that one person gets one vote. "When we look at polls, the fundamental thing is how to secure 'one man, one vote' idea. Are the right people allowed to vote? Are fake people being added? Is the voter list true or not?" he said. "For some time there has been suspicion among the public. Anti-incumbency hits every single party, but the BJP is the only party that does not suffer anti-incumbency in a democratic framework," he said.
Exit polls go massively wrong and so do internal surveys, he said. Gandhi alleged that elections are "choreographed" these days lasting months, when earlier, with minimal technology, the polls were conducted in the country together. "The Election Commission is not giving us data because they are afraid that what we did in Mahadevapura, we will do in the remaining Lok Sabha seats, and then the truth of the country's democracy will come out," he said. The Election Commission is colluding with the BJP and helping them, he alleged.
