NEW DELHI: In a blistering critique that has intensified political tensions, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp and sustained attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of India (ECI) this Saturday. The Congress leader made serious allegations that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is being systematically exploited as a weapon to dismantle the fundamental constitutional right to vote, thereby threatening the bedrock of Indian democracy.
Allegations of Systematic Vote Theft
Gandhi asserted that the entire SIR exercise, rather than being a routine administrative process, has been transformed into a mechanism that fundamentally undermines the sacrosanct democratic principle of "one person, one vote." He claimed this manipulation allows the ruling BJP, instead of the electorate, to effectively decide who remains in power. "Wherever there’s SIR, there’s vote theft," Gandhi declared in a detailed Hindi post on the social media platform X.
Targeting Specific Communities and Booths
The Congress leader went further, alleging a targeted approach in this alleged manipulation. He claimed that votes are being "selectively removed from specific communities and booths" that traditionally support the Congress party. "Wherever the BJP sees a potential defeat, voters are simply made to disappear from the system," he stated, painting a picture of a deliberate and strategic disenfranchisement.
Gandhi drew parallels with past incidents, suggesting this is not an isolated pattern. "This same pattern was seen in Aland. The same thing happened in Rajura. And now the same blueprint is being implemented in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and every state where SIR has been imposed," he alleged, indicating a nationwide concern.
Election Commission's Role Under Scrutiny
In his most severe indictment, Rahul Gandhi called the role and impartiality of the Election Commission into serious question. He accused the constitutional body of abandoning its duty as democracy's guardian. "SIR has been turned into a weapon to dismantle the constitutional right to ‘one person, one vote’—so that it’s not the people, but the BJP, who decide who stays in power," he said.
He concluded with a grave accusation: "And the gravest truth is that the Election Commission is no longer democracy’s guardian; it’s become the chief accomplice in this vote-theft conspiracy." This remark signifies a deepening crisis of confidence in the institution tasked with ensuring free and fair elections.
Context from Gujarat Congress
Gandhi's remarks followed specific allegations raised by the Gujarat Congress unit regarding large-scale irregularities during the SIR process in the state. The party claimed in a social media post that while initial objections were minimal, "millions of objections (Form 7) were suddenly submitted" after January 15, just ahead of the January 18 deadline, raising suspicions of a coordinated effort.
Furthermore, the Gujarat Congress alleged a complete lack of transparency from the Election Commission. They stated that when the main opposition party sought crucial details regarding these objections, they received no response whatsoever. "This is because the Election Commission has mortgaged both its responsibility and accountability to the ruling party," the state unit claimed, echoing the national leadership's sentiment.
This controversy places the SIR process, a critical element of electoral integrity, under unprecedented political and public scrutiny, with the opposition demanding immediate accountability and corrective action.
