‘Vote chori is in BJP’s DNA’: Rahul Gandhi vows to oust ‘Modi–RSS govt’

New Delhi: Alleging that “vote chori” (vote theft) is embedded in the BJP’s DNA, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said his party stands for satya (truth) and will remove the “Narendra Modi–RSS government” from power.

Addressing the Congress’s ‘Vote Chor Gaddi Chhod’ rally at Ramlila Maidan, Gandhi launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission, naming Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, and alleging that they were working in favour of the BJP.

“We stand with truth. They have power, and they indulge in vote chori,” the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha said, asserting that truth is integral to the Congress’s ideology, while “untruth and vote theft” define the BJP–RSS.

Gandhi said there was no need for fear, claiming that though it may take time, the BJP-led government would be defeated through the path of truth and non-violence. “We will remove Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and the RSS government by following satya and ahimsa,” he said.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi were present at the rally, which saw a large turnout of party workers protesting alleged electoral manipulation. Gandhi said the party had collected around six crore signatures nationwide against “vote theft” and would submit them to the President of India.

In a post later on X, Gandhi reiterated his charge, saying, “Theft is in the BJP’s DNA,” listing money theft, land theft, institutional theft, rights theft, employment theft, mandate theft, and vote theft as part of what he called the BJP’s ladder to power.

Referring to a recent speech by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Gandhi accused him of prioritising power over truth. “Our country’s values and all religions place truth above everything. But Bhagwat says truth has no value and only power matters,” he said, describing the present political battle as one between satya and asatya (untruth).

Gandhi alleged that during the Bihar elections, the BJP transferred ₹10,000 to voters without any action from the Election Commission, and claimed the poll body had failed to respond to questions raised by the Congress over alleged irregularities in Haryana and other elections. He further alleged that the government had brought in a law to give immunity to the Election Commission, warning that a future Congress government would repeal it and take action retrospectively.

Claiming that even non-residents had voted in Haryana, Gandhi said the Election Commission’s silence showed its alignment with the ruling party. He also alleged that the BJP government worked only for a handful of crony capitalists and that issues such as unemployment, pollution, flawed GST implementation and the collapse of small businesses were consequences of “vote theft”.

“Had there been no vote chori, you would have removed this government in five minutes,” he said, adding that the alleged manipulation of elections amounted to an attack on the Constitution framed by B R Ambedkar, which guarantees one vote for every citizen.

Concluding his speech, Gandhi said the Congress would defeat the BJP “not with hatred or violence, but with truth and non-violence,” drawing applause from the crowd.
(With PTI inputs)