'Vote chori, kanoon chori, sanstha chori': Rahul Gandhi tears into PM Modi, Amit Shah, CEC Gyanesh Kumar amid SIR row

NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday took aim at the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar after reports of differences within the poll body over Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls sparked a political stir.He accused the CEC of "vote chori, kanun chori, sanstha chori (vote theft, law theft, institutional theft)", calling it an "act against nation".He claimed that all elections were "rigged", further questioning why PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah do not face anti-incumbency."The Election Commission is the institutional protector of the vote... I have shown it with proof, and there is already more than enough information to make this a 100 % certainty that Indian elections, Lok Sabha elections, 2024 election, Vidhan Sabha elections are all being rigged," he said addressing a press conference."I come from a political family, and I have spent more than 50 years in a political family... In India, there is a fundamental force called anti-incumbency that very quickly starts to resist any government. It does not spare anybody. Indira Gandhi won the Bangladesh war, was at the height of her popularity, and then suddenly, within a year or two, massive anti-incumbency, massive pressure," he said."The same exact thing happens to leader after leader after leader. Happens to Congress leaders; it happens to regional parties, but for some reason, it never happens to Mr Narendra Modi, does not happen to Mr Shah, does not happen to the BJP," he added.Rahul pointed out that Congress, in the past, has raised the issue of "vote chori" on several occassions but the "institutional framework of India was not interested"."Gyanesh Kumar, two election commissioners, are raising questions on that man. I have been raising questions. Those questions were ignored. People of India believed it. But the institutional framework of India was not interested... Gyanesh Kumar was chosen by the Prime Minister of India, not by anybody less. He was chosen by Amit Shah," he said."Now two election commissioners are saying that Mr Gyanesh Kumar is responsible for the chaos and the damage that has taken place to our voting system. From vote-chori comes Kanun-chori.... From Kanun-chori comes Sanstha chori — institutions. This is the chain that has taken place..," he added.An Indian Express report has highlighted differences among members of the EC over the SIR of electoral rolls. The report said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised formal objections on at least 14 occasions over a 10-month period against decisions and orders related to electoral-roll processes.The Election Commission, however, described the queries and observations raised by its members as part of its routine internal process. It said written notes, technical inputs and internal scrutiny were standard mechanisms to check legal compliance and protect voters’ rights.The ECI further said all decisions taken by the Commission, including those related to SIR, had full legal backing and stressed that its final decisions were unanimous.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.