New Delhi, Dec 9— Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the ruling BJP of “destroying the idea of India” by influencing electoral processes and allowing what he called “vote chori,” as the Lok Sabha debated election reforms during the Winter Session of Parliament.
Gandhi said the country’s democratic system rests entirely on the sanctity of the vote. “Our nation is a fabric of 1.5 billion people and is woven together by vote,” he told the House. “The biggest anti-national act you can do is vote ‘chori’. When you destroy the vote, you destroy the idea of India.”
He alleged that the Election Commission was being steered by those in power. “There is institutional capture of the EC that directly controls the election system of our country,” he said, adding that he had already presented “proof” of collusion. “I want to ask three questions which will make it clear that the BJP is directing, using the EC to damage India’s democracy.”
Gandhi asked why the Chief Justice of India was dropped from the panel selecting election commissioners, why the government “gave the gift of immunity” to commissioners by altering appointment laws, and why rules on preserving CCTV footage from polling stations were changed. He also alleged that the Haryana Assembly elections “were stolen” and that the “theft was ensured by the EC.”
As the Treasury benches protested, Gandhi linked his criticism to a broader political argument about equality. “The idea that every person in India is equal disturbs my friends in the RSS,” he said. “RSS fundamentally does not believe in equality. They believe in a hierarchy. After Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, their project was wholesale capture of India’s institutional framework.”
He concluded by urging Parliament to strengthen safeguards around future polls. “For reform, give a machine-readable voter list to all parties a month before elections and take back the law allowing CCTV footage destruction,” he said, adding, “We are not just the biggest democracy, we are the greatest democracy.”
