'Sign declaration or apologise to the nation': EC to Rahul Gandhi over 'vote theft' claim

The Election Commission on Thursday hit back at Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, asking him to either submit a formal declaration supporting his "vote chori" (vote theft) allegation or publicly apologise for making what it described as baseless and absurd claims. The poll body's sharp response came hours after Gandhi accused the Commission of colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to manipulate the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections 2024. In a strongly worded statement, the Election Commission asserted that the country's electoral rolls have been prepared in a fair and transparent manner, dismissing any claims of tampering or manipulation.

Calling on the senior Congress leader to either substantiate his claims with facts under oath or retract them, the Commission said it is prepared to initiate appropriate proceedings based on his response. "If Rahul Gandhi believes in his analysis and believes that his allegations against ECI are true, he should have respect for law and sign the Declaration or Apologise to the Nation for raising absurd allegations against ECI," the poll body added, as per the news agency ANI. 

Election Commission responds sharply 

The Election Commission has responded sharply following Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegations of over one lakh instances of "voter theft" in the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha seat during the 2024 General Elections. the poll body referenced the Kamal Nath judgment, stating that the legal position regarding the use of machine-readable electoral documents has already been settled by the Supreme Court. The Commission also criticised Gandhi for repeatedly raising the same concerns despite judicial clarity, suggesting that his actions reflect a disregard for the apex court’s rulings.

2018 Kamal Nath case recalled

"The law provides a clear procedure for raising objections to electoral rolls and for filing appeals," the poll body said in its statement. "Instead of following the legal route, Rahul Gandhi has chosen to sensationalise the issue through the media by making unfounded allegations," it added. 

The Commission further pointed to the precedent set in 2018 when Congress leader Kamal Nath had approached the Supreme Court, alleging duplication of voter entries in Madhya Pradesh. The Election Commission successfully defended its position at the time, stating that the discrepancies had been corrected well before the matter reached the court.