New Delhi, 9 December (H.S.): Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday reiterated his long-standing allegations against the central government, accusing it of manipulating elections and undermining democratic institutions.

Participating in the debate on electoral reforms, Gandhi said that “vote theft is the biggest anti-national act,” stressing that India’s democratic framework—from Parliament to every institution—derives its legitimacy from the sanctity of the vote.

Reasserting his previous positions made during past press conferences, Gandhi called for machine-readable voter lists and mandatory access to CCTV footage from polling stations. He alleged that instances of “vote theft” occurred during the Haryana Assembly elections, claiming irregularities in the voter rolls.

He also raised a controversial example from Haryana’s electoral roll, alleging that a “woman from Brazil” appeared multiple times in the records—a charge that prompted several Congress members to display her photograph in the House.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla objected to the move, asking members to maintain decorum. Gandhi further claimed that despite the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Bihar, the names and photographs of around 1.02 lakh voters appeared identical across entries.

Accusing the government of exerting influence over the Election Commission, Gandhi alleged that the appointment process of Election Commissioners had been altered to suit the ruling party’s interests.

“The Prime Minister, another Union Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition form the selection committee. But when the other two members vote together, my voice carries no weight,” he remarked.

He also alleged that the Centre amended the law to grant immunity to Election Commissioners for acts committed during their tenure. “When we return to power, we will change this. No Election Commissioner who abuses their authority will be spared,” Gandhi said, claiming that key CCTV-related rules had been “deliberately modified” to obscure transparency.

The Congress leader began his speech by targeting what he termed the “capture of democratic institutions” by the government, drawing sharp objections from Treasury bench members. Speaker Om Birla intervened, advising him to stay focused on the subject matter of electoral reform.

Gandhi’s remarks reignited a political flashpoint over alleged electoral manipulation, institutional independence, and the integrity of democratic processes ahead of the 2026 general elections.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar