‘None Will Be Spared’: Rahul Gandhi Names Modi, Shah, Bhagwat and CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Says ‘What Was Done to Country Is…’

Political tensions over India’s electoral process escalated sharply on Tuesday after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of “hijacking” elections through what he described as alleged “vote chori”.

Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, made the remarks after INDIA bloc MPs marching from the Parliament complex towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters were stopped by police. Opposition parties were demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar amid their continuing allegations of irregularities in the electoral roll revision process.

Rahul Gandhi asks why Opposition MPs were stopped

Speaking to reporters during the protest, Rahul Gandhi questioned why Opposition MPs were prevented from reaching the poll panel and meeting the election commissioners.

“Why is the CEC not meeting us? Why are they stopping us? We represent the people,” Gandhi said.

According to Gandhi, nearly 300 Opposition MPs wanted to approach the Election Commission. He also questioned the heavy police presence and accused the authorities of stopping elected representatives from raising their concerns before the constitutional body.

‘None of them will be spared’

Gandhi then intensified his attack, directly naming Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Mohan Bhagwat and Gyanesh Kumar while alleging that the electoral process had been compromised.

He accused Kumar of helping the other three in what he described as the “hijacking” of elections and alleged that their actions had damaged India’s democracy.

Gandhi went further by calling what had allegedly happened to the country “treason” and declared that “none of them will be spared”. The allegations are those of the Congress leader and have not been established by a court.

INDIA bloc march stopped near NITI Aayog

The confrontation unfolded after INDIA bloc MPs began their march from Parliament towards Nirvachan Sadan, the headquarters of the Election Commission.

The MPs were stopped near the NITI Aayog office, on the stretch leading towards Akashvani Bhawan and the Election Commission headquarters. Several Opposition leaders then sat on the road in protest.

The demonstration saw participation from several prominent Opposition politicians, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Akhilesh Yadav and other INDIA bloc leaders. Protesters carried placards, raised slogans and demanded Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

At one stage, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attempted to enter the Akashvani Bhawan premises as they sought to move closer to the Election Commission headquarters. Several Opposition leaders were detained during the protest.

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Why is the Opposition protesting against the Election Commission?

The latest confrontation is part of a wider Opposition campaign against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Opposition parties have alleged irregularities in the exercise and have repeatedly raised concerns about voter enrolment and deletion. The Election Commission, however, has rejected allegations that the process was politically manipulated and has maintained that decisions relating to SIR were taken unanimously.

The political controversy has also focused on Form 6, the statutory application used for the inclusion of names in electoral rolls.

The Supreme Court said on Monday that it had not approved a modified version of Form 6 and indicated that it would examine Election Commission records to determine whether changes had been made and, if so, who authorised them.

The Election Commission’s position has been that the statutory Form 6 itself was not altered and that a separate declaration was attached for the SIR exercise.

Supreme Court proceedings add to political pressure

The row has gained further momentum after the Supreme Court issued notices in proceedings concerning alleged decisions taken by the poll panel and questions surrounding the functioning of the Commission.

For the Opposition, the court proceedings have become another reason to intensify its campaign demanding answers from the Election Commission. For the poll body, however, allegations that the SIR exercise was conducted improperly remain disputed.

Tuesday’s scenes in central Delhi — barricades, detentions, a sit-in and some of the country’s most prominent Opposition leaders attempting to reach the Election Commission — showed that the dispute has now moved decisively beyond statements and press conferences.

With Rahul Gandhi directly naming Modi, Shah, Bhagwat and Gyanesh Kumar, the battle over alleged “vote chori” and the credibility of the electoral roll revision process appears set to remain one of India’s most heated political confrontations.