Nation

IIE DIGITAL DESK ; New Delhi, September 23: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday stepped up his attack over what he termed “vote chori”, alleging that the practice amounted to a direct attack on the Constitution and a serious offence against the people of India. In a post on social media platform X, Gandhi accused the BJP, the RSS and the Election Commission of being involved in what he described as an “act of treason”, while asserting that justice would be served.

“Vote chori is a crime against the Indian people and a direct attack on our Constitution,” Gandhi said in his post. He further alleged that the BJP, RSS and Election Commission, whom he accused of organising the alleged malpractice, had committed “an act of treason”.

Gandhi’s remarks came amid a fresh political controversy surrounding the functioning of the Election Commission and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The controversy intensified following reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on several occasions over decisions and orders related to electoral-roll revision.

According to reports cited by the media, the two Election Commissioners had formally raised objections at least 14 times over a period of 10 months on issues concerning electoral-roll procedures, including the addition and deletion of voters and the handling of voter data. These reports have triggered a fresh political confrontation between the Opposition and the poll panel.

Gandhi has repeatedly raised concerns over the electoral-roll revision process and alleged that irregularities could affect the integrity of the electoral system. His latest remarks marked another escalation in his criticism of the Election Commission and the ruling BJP.

The Election Commission, however, has rejected reports suggesting a division within the poll panel over the SIR exercise. According to EC officials, decisions taken by the Commission, including those concerning SIR, were unanimous and had the approval of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

The controversy centres on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, a process that has faced criticism from opposition parties over concerns about voter deletions and the verification of electoral records. The Election Commission has maintained that the exercise is intended to update electoral rolls and identify ineligible or duplicate entries.

Gandhi also shared a video of an earlier statement in which he warned Election Commission officials that they would be held accountable for actions that he described as being against the country. His latest social media post reiterated his position that those responsible for alleged electoral wrongdoing would ultimately face accountability.

The remarks have added fresh momentum to the political debate over electoral-roll revision, the functioning of the Election Commission and the safeguards surrounding voters’ rights. While the Opposition has continued to question the process, the Election Commission has maintained that its decisions have been taken in accordance with the applicable legal framework.

The political debate intensifies, the allegations made by Gandhi remain part of an ongoing dispute over the electoral-roll revision process, with the Election Commission maintaining its position that the decisions taken by the poll panel were unanimous.