Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of “destroying democracy” and claimed that the data of Karnataka assembly constituency claimed that the votes of Congress supporters were being systematically removed before the election.
In another direct attack on the Election Commission, Gandhi said that the Election Commission should stop giving protection to “vote thieves” and the information sought by Karnataka CID in the investigation of the removal of voters should be made available within a week.
In a press conference at the Congress headquarters Indira Bhavan, Gandhi said that if it is not done, it will definitely be known that the commission is included in the “murder of the Constitution”.
He had made it clear in the beginning that he was not a “hydrogen bomb” which he promised and he would come soon.
Rahul Gandhi said, “I have been just creating a base. It has been going on for 10-15 years. India’s democracy has been kidnapped. Only people of India can save democracy. Rahul Gandhi can show the truth. The day people will realize that their democracy and constitution have been stolen, work will be done.”
He gave details of the alleged attempts to erase votes in Karnataka’s Aland constituency before the 2023 elections. He also gave an example of Rajura constituency in Maharashtra, where he claimed that voters were added to fraud using automated software.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged, “This is the arrangement doing this. It is doing this in Karnataka, Maharashtra, it has done so in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and we have proofs.”
Gandhi said, “Our demand is that Gyanesh Kumar, do your work, you have taken oath, you are the Chief Election Commissioner of India, you should give evidence to Karnataka CID.”
Talking about the example of Aland, Gandhi said that the strong Congress booths were targeted. He alleged, “The top 10 booths to be removed were the strongholds of the Congress. The Congress won eight out of 10 booths in 2018. It was no coincidence; it was a well -planned campaign.”
He said that his disclosure today is another milestone in showing the youth of the country, how the elections are being rigged.
Gandhi alleged, “I am going to make a serious claim about Gyanesh Kumar. I am not saying this lightly, I am the leader of the opposition. CEC votes are protecting the thieves and those who destroy Indian democracy.”
He claimed that a person is setting a systematically target to remove millions of voters across India.
He said, “I am the leader of the opposition and I will not say anything that is not based on 100 percent evidence. I love my country, I love my constitution, I love democratic process and I am protecting that process.”
He said that in Alind, Karnataka, someone tried to remove 6,018 votes and was caught “coincidentally”. He alleged that the names of Congress voters are being systematically removed.
Gandhi said, “The booth level officer noticed that his uncle’s vote had been deleted and it was found that his neighbor had deleted his uncle’s vote. He asked his neighbor, he said that he had no information about it. It was found out that some other strength hijacked the whole process and deleted the vote – and luckily it was caught.”
He claimed that 6,018 applications were filed in the name of voters and this application was automatically filed using mobile numbers outside Karnataka.
Gandhi also called the voter on the stage to be tried to remove the vote and the person whose name was used to remove. Both denied any information about this.
According to the Congress leader, this work is being done using a software.
Referring to the ongoing investigation in Karnataka, Gandhi said that the CID has sent 18 letters to the Election Commission in 18 months and sought some simple facts, such as destination IP from where these applications were filled and OTP trails.
Gandhi claimed that they are not giving it because it will let us know where this operation is being done.
He accused Gyanesh Kumar of saving those who did so. Gandhi said, “The Election Commission knows who is doing this. I want every youth of India to know this. They are doing this with your future. When they do not give this information, they are defending the killers of democracy.”
The Congress leader said that research and presentation on the alleged “vote theft” by his party would take two-three months.
Gandhi said, “When we give these presentations, there will be no doubt in your mind that votes are being stolen in the state (elections) and one after the other. My job is to bring out the truth and show it to the people of the country.”
He said, “This constitution is the protector of the people and I am protecting it. The work of protecting it is of the institutions, but they are not doing so.”
Gandhi also claimed that the party is also getting information and help from inside the Election Commission. He said, “It will not stop. The people of India will not accept it. When the youth will know that the vote is being stolen, their strength will also join it.”
Asked who is the mastermind, Gandhi said that he would also put it in front of the people and the “hydrogen bomb” of their revelations will expose everything in black and white.
Last month, Gandhi claimed that more than one lakh votes were “stolen” through manipulation in Mahadevpura assembly constituency of Karnataka, citing data for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and said that “Vote theft” is a “nuclear bomb” on our democracy.