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Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat on Friday criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI) over fresh "vote theft" allegations levelled by Rahul Gandhi and accused the poll body of running away from its responsibility.
Reacting to the controversy surrounding the alleged deletion of over 6,000 voter names in Karnataka's Aland constituency, Bhagat backed Rahul Gandhi's claims and alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was manipulating the electoral system to remain in power. Speaking to ANI, the Congress MP said, "The way things are being stolen and how the BJP government is manipulating the system to stay in power, the entire nation is watching. The Election Commission is running away from its responsibility. Yesterday, they said that the allegations are baseless. Is it only Rahul Gandhi's responsibility to save democracy?" Demanding a third-party inquiry into the accusations by Congress, he added, "Instead of asking for proof, why does the Election Commission not order an independent inquiry by a third party?" He further alleged that the BJP and the Election Commission are working in tandem, stating, "Instead of the EC responding to the allegations, it is the BJP that is providing justifications... That is the reason we said that the BJP and the EC are working in collusion." Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi's allegations of voter deletion in Aland have sparked a fresh political row. Congress leader Digvijaya Singh alleged rigging in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and demanded that ballot papers be brought back. Sharing a media report on social media platform X, claiming a disinformation campaign using Israeli software to manipulate elections across the globe, the Congress leader raised doubts over the fairness of polling in India. He wrote, "Can we entrust the country's elections to hackers in today's era of advanced technology? Just think about it. Shouldn't we conduct India's elections using ballot papers, that is, voting papers?" "Or shouldn't we give the VVPAT slip of EVMs into our hands? Is this the demand of @INCIndia from @ECISVEEP? Isn't this demand justified? Just think about it. Jai Siya Ram. Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan," the X post read. The Election Commission firmly rejected all allegations, clarifying that no voter's name can be deleted online by any member of the public. The BJP has launched an attack against Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of spreading lies. Meanwhile, the BJP has lashed out at Rahul Gandhi over his remarks. Party leader Dilip Ghosh said that the Congress MP "dreams at night and turns them into statements in the morning." Speaking to ANI, Ghosh remarked, "I don't know what Rahul Gandhi eats or when he sleeps at night. But he dreams, and in the morning, he presents those dreams as statements. He has made himself a laughingstock. Nobody trusts him, not even the media. That is why he goes abroad and makes statements. He disappears and then comes back. This is not how politics works." (ANI)
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