Former Chief Election Commissioner S.K. Y. Qureshi on Sunday targeted the Election Commission’s response to the “vote theft” allegations and said that the Commission should have ordered an inquiry into his allegations instead of using “objectionable and derogatory” language for Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
Qureshi said in an interview with ‘PTI-Bhasha’ that most of the words used by Gandhi while making allegations, such as a “hydrogen bomb”, etc. were “political rhetoric”. Qureshi emphasized that the complaints Gandhi kept in detail should be investigated in detail.
Former Chief Election Commissioner Qureshi criticized the Commission for the method of special intensive revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar and said that it is not only ‘opening a box of bhanumati’, but the Election Commission has put a hand in the ‘bee’s hive’, which would harm him.
He said to ‘PTI-Bhasha’ before the release of his new book ‘Democracy Hartland’ published by Jagranott Books, ‘You know that whenever I hear any criticism of the Election Commission, I not only feel very worried and hurt as a citizen of India, but also because I feel the Chief Election Commissioner and I have contributed a little in that institution.’
Between 2010 and 2012, Chief Electoral Commissioner (CEC) Qureshi said, “When I see that institution is being attacked or being weakened in any way, I worry. The Election Commission should also introspect and be worried. It is up to them to face all the forces and pressures that are affecting their decisions. ‘
He said, ‘They have to win the trust of the people – you need to win the trust of opposition parties. I have always given priority to opposition parties because they are weak.
Qureshi said that the ruling party does not need special care like the opposition as it is in power while the opposition is not in power.
He said, ‘Therefore (when I was the Chief Election Commissioner), my staff was generally instructed that if they (opposition parties) want time to meet, keep the doors open and give them immediate time, listen to them, listen to them, talk to them, if they want any small help, do them, provided that no one else is harmed.’ He said that now the opposition has to go to the Supreme Court again and again and in fact 23 parties have to say that they are not getting time to meet and no one is listening to them.
Qureshi said that instead of asking Gandhi to file an affidavit, the Commission should have investigated his allegations.
Qureshi said, ‘Rahul Gandhi is the leader of opposition, so the Election Commission should not have used the kind of language he did for him. I think this is not the Election Commission we know. After all, he is the Leader of Opposition, he is not a common man. He is representing millions of people, he is expressing the opinion of millions of people and to say to him, ‘Give affidavits, otherwise we will do it, he will do it’, his (commission’s) behavior is both objectionable and derogatory. “
He said, ‘I have often said that assuming that they (opposition) turn back and say,’ Okay, you are presenting a new voter list, give an affidavit that there is no mistake in it. And if there is any mistake, you will be prosecuted criminal. Can you think of such a situation? ‘
Qureshi said that the Commission should have ordered an inquiry into the allegations. He said that not only the Leader of Opposition, but if anyone has complained, then the general process is to order immediate investigation.
He said, ‘We (to the Election Commission) should not only be fair, but also look fair. The investigation reveals the facts. Therefore, instead of investigating the way the Commission reacted, it would have been right and lost an opportunity.
Qureshi’s remarks came at a time when Chief Election Commissioner Dnyanesh Kumar said at a press conference here last month that Gandhi should file an affidavit in seven days about his allegations of irregularities in the voter list, otherwise his claims of ‘vote theft’ will be unfounded and invalid.
Gandhi had earlier claimed that more than one lakh votes were ‘stolen’ by citing a 2024 Lok Sabha election figure through a presentation at a press conference at a press conference in Mahadevpura assembly constituency of Karnataka. He alleged similar irregularities in other states.
Gandhi also took out a ‘Voter Rights Yatra’ in Bihar against the special intensive revision (SIR) of the voter list, in which he accused the connivance between the BJP and the Commission for “Vote Theft”.
Asked about Gandhi’s claim that he will soon bring the revelations on ‘vote theft’, Qureshi said that the Leader of Opposition has used such words and most of them are ‘political rhetoric’ which should be taken in this form. He said, “But at the same time, if there is a serious issue, there are serious complaints that they are raising, then those issues and complaints should be investigated not only for the satisfaction of the Leader of the Opposition but also for the satisfaction of the whole country.”
Asked if people’s trust in the electoral process has been shaken, Qureshi replied yes. Questioning the argument behind keeping the voter photo identity card (EPIC) out of the list of documents that can be provided to be included in the voter list, Qureshi said that the EPIC itself is issued by the Election Commission and will have very serious effects of not recognizing it.
