The Election Commission of India (ECI) has given an ultimatum to the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday, over his ‘vote chori’ remarks. The announcement has set off a fresh political storm.
The ECI has asked the Leader of Opposition to file an affidavit for his remarks or issue and public apology.
The Commission gave Rahul Gandhi seven days to take either course of action and stated that, without an affidavit, it would regard all the accusations as false.
The ruling party, BJP, supports this move by ECI while pressing LoP Rahul Gandhi to comply. Following this, the INDIA Bloc has accused the poll body of playing the role of ‘political weapon’ to silence the dispute.
Leaders’ Reaction to Rahul Gandhi’s Remarks
Union Minister Giriraj Singh called out at Rahul Gandhi, saying, “The Election Commission had clearly said they must file an affidavit within seven days, otherwise he (LoP Gandhi) should apologise to the people. I want to ask, today is August 18, till now, how many names has he found to be wrong and submitted to the Election Commission? Spreading confusion will not help.”
Moreover, UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya took a dig at Congress MP, stating, “Rahul Gandhi has been spreading chaos and questioning constitutional institutions. Every process has a proper procedure; if a political party has objections to the voter list publication and revision, it can raise them officially,” as per media reports.
“However, Rahul Gandhi is firing blindly, spreading rumours in the country,” he claimed and added, “His conduct is neither democratic nor constitutional and is completely irresponsible. For someone in the responsible position of Leader of the Opposition, such actions are disgraceful.”
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Minister Vishvas Sarang also slammed the LoP, saying, “Rahul Gandhi, without any factual basis, makes such baseless statements for media and photo opportunities to mislead the public. When allegations are made against institutions like the Election Commission, one must provide facts and an affidavit; this is the rule.”
Opposition Stands Firm: LoP Rahul Gandhi has Already Made his Case
However, the Opposition made it clear that LoP Gandhi would not apologise, stating that he had already made an argument on his part.
With this, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari strongly defended LoP leader, asserting, “I would like to tell Gyanesh Kumar that, as the respected Chief Election Commissioner holding a constitutional position, he should maintain the dignity of his office. The way he conducted the press conference, the term ‘vote theft’ seems too mild. If citizens are unable to exercise their rights, who else will safeguard them? I urge him to act responsibly and ensure nothing happens that would make people lose faith in him.”
Moreover, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also hit out at the Commission, saying, “We did not get any concrete answers to our questions. It was merely a script being read out, seemingly drafted from the BJP office and aimed at targeting the Opposition. Today, it has become clear that the Election Commission is misusing its authority, while the BJP is using it as a tool to attack the Opposition.”
Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav also expressed similar concerns about the poll body.
Also Read: Lok Sabha Adjourned Over Bihar Voter Roll Protests As Key Bills Tabled
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