NEW DELHI, Sept 19: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday sharpened his attack on the Election Commission (EC), alleging it acted as a “watchman” that witnessed and protected vote theft instead of preventing it.
In a Hindi post on X, Gandhi wrote, “Chunaav ka chaukidar jaagta raha, chori dekhta raha, choron ko bachata raha” (the election watchman stayed awake, watched the theft, and protected the thieves). He claimed systematic voter deletions were carried out in states like Karnataka and Maharashtra, citing alleged attempts to erase 6,018 votes in Aland constituency and add 6,850 voters fraudulently in Rajura using automated software.
The remarks came a day after Gandhi accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of shielding those who “destroyed democracy.” He demanded the EC provide information sought by the Karnataka CID within a week, failing which he said it would be proven complicit in the “murder of the Constitution.”
The Election Commission, however, rejected Gandhi’s claims as “incorrect and baseless,” asserting that no online deletion of votes was possible.
Positioning himself as a defender of democracy, Gandhi said, “The nation’s youth and students will protect the Constitution and stop vote theft. I will always stand with them. Jai Hind!”