2023 law shields Election Commission from scrutiny: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said safeguarding the Constitution depends on protecting the right to vote. He was addressing a rally in Madhubani during the Congress’ Voter Adhikar Yatra.                         

“Votes matter for the poor, because without votes, you have no rights. If voting rights are lost, the Constitution itself cannot be protected,” Gandhi told the gathering. He claimed the BJP and RSS had never respected the national flag or the Constitution, which he said empowered Dalits, OBCs, EBCs, women, and the poor.

Referring to a 2023 law, he alleged that the BJP had ensured the Election Commissioner was beyond legal scrutiny, preventing judicial action against the post. “Why was this law made? So that the EC could steal votes without fear,” he claimed.

Gandhi further stated that the BJP leaders had openly discussed changing the Constitution, but the Congress had opposed it. He linked Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement about the BJP remaining in power for decades to alleged electoral manipulation that he said began in Gujarat.

Gandhi further claimed that neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor Amit Shah had responded to his charge of “vote theft”. He also accused the BJP of changing election schedules in Maharashtra and Haryana to suit its interests.

Gandhi accused the BJP of indulging in “vote theft” through the Election Commission, which he claimed had deleted 65 lakh names from Bihar’s voter list. “Now the same number of electors will be added to benefit the BJP,” he alleged, branding the party “vote chor”.