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Rahul Gandhi says laws passed by MPs ‘illegal’: 'Vote chori is kanoon chori'
Rahul Gandhi warned that compromising voter mandates undermines the legitimacy of Parliament and all laws passed within it.
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Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar following the reports of dissent within the poll body. The Congress also took potshots at the Centre as he blamed the Modi government for the alleged irregularities, linking them to the legitimacy of laws made by Parliament.
Gandhi, at the press conference, named Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and accused them of being "conspirators" in an alleged effort to steal elections.
'Vote chori is kanoon chori'
Deep Dive
“From vote-chori comes kanoon-chori, from kanoon-chori comes sanstha chori. This is the chain that has taken place. If the vote has been stolen and the MPs sitting in parliament are there based on a stolen vote, then any law they are making is illegal, and any institutional change they make is also illegal., he said, as he termed the alleged irregularities as an ‘attack on the Constitution of India’ and said, “Deshdrohis will be punished.”
Gandhi warned that compromising voter mandates undermines the legitimacy of Parliament and all laws passed within it as he outlined a ‘complete chain of institutional collapse.’
What Rahul Gandhi said
As Gandhi mounted a no-holds-barred attack, Gandhi alleged that Modi, Shah and Kumar were "deshdrohis" (traitors) as they "destroyed" India's vote. He demanded the CEC's immediate resignation.
The LoP also advised Kumar to turn "approver", while noting that election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had done a good thing by accepting in a way that "vote chori" is happening.
Also read: Two commissioners, one CEC, no veto: How the Election Commission decides
Alleging that all elections are "rigged" and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls were "completely fake", Gandhi asserted that Modi and Shah would be investigated for what they have done to this country.
Slamming Kumar, he said what the CEC has done is an act against the Indian nation.
"This is an attack on the Constitution and the legal structure of the country. You were supposed to ensure that the vote was protected. We have enough information to prove this with certainty. There are going to be consequences to this. We are not going to let democracy be destroyed and sit silent. Those responsible will be punished," Gandhi said at a press conference at the Indira Bhawan here.
Also read: Differing views are normal but decisions unanimous: Election Commission amid row
Gandhi said his suggestion to Kumar is that he should turn "approver" as that would be an act of nationalism.
EC dissent row
The remarks come amid uproar over an investigative report from The Indian Express newspaper which stated that election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded objections to decisions taken in the commission’s name at least 14 times over 10 months.
