PM, Shah, CEC 'traitors', Gyanesh Kumar must quit immediately: Rahul

• Rahul Gandhi accused Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and CEC Gyanesh Kumar of being ‘traitors’, alleging that they had "destroyed" the sanctity of the vote.

• Gandhi demanded Kumar’s immediate resignation and suggested that the CEC turn approver, claiming Modi and Shah were "at the top" of an electoral conspiracy.

• The Congress leader claimed he was "100 per cent sure" elections were being rigged and questioned what he described as the disappearance of anti-incumbency.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, 24 September escalated the pitch of his attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing them of being ‘deshdrohis’ (traitors), alleging that they had "destroyed" the sanctity of India's vote, and demanding the CEC's immediate resignation.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha also claimed he was "100 per cent sure" that elections were being rigged and asserted that Modi and Shah would eventually be investigated over the alleged manipulation of the electoral process.

Gandhi's remarks at a press conference at the Congress headquarters, Indira Bhawan, came amid a fresh political storm over the Election Commission of India (ECI) following an Indian Express report that election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had repeatedly raised objections over decisions related to the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Reports said the two commissioners recorded objections at least 14 times over the past 10 months.

Targeting Kumar, Gandhi alleged that the CEC's actions amounted to an attack on the country and its constitutional framework. "This is an attack on the Constitution and the legal structure of the country. You were supposed to ensure that the vote was protected. We have enough information to prove this with certainty," Gandhi said.

"There are going to be consequences to this. We are not going to let democracy be destroyed and sit silent. Those responsible will be punished," he added.

Gandhi suggested that Kumar should turn approver, describing such a step as an act of nationalism. "My suggestion to Gyanesh Kumar is that he should turn approver. That would be an act of nationalism," he said.

Turning his attack on the prime minister and home minister, Gandhi alleged that they were "at the top" of what he described as a conspiracy involving the electoral process. "PM Modi and home minister Shah are both going to be investigated for what is being done. They are at the top of this conspiracy and they will be investigated for what they have done to this country," Gandhi said.

Calling Modi and Shah ‘deshdrohis’, Gandhi alleged that they had "destroyed the vote" in India's democracy.

The ECI has rejected Opposition allegations of electoral manipulation and defended its processes.

Gandhi also played videos of Modi and Shah at the press conference and asked reporters to pay attention to the tone of their remarks. One clip showed Shah predicting that the BJP would remain in power for 30 years, while another showed Modi raising the ‘abki baar 400 paar’ slogan ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Gandhi argued that such assertions were unusual in a functioning democracy because governments inevitably encounter anti-incumbency. "In India, there is a fundamental force called anti-incumbency which starts to resist and it does not spare anybody," he said.

He went further, claiming he was "100 per cent sure" that elections were being rigged and questioning how anti-incumbency could effectively disappear from the electoral system.

His attack came a day after he accused the BJP, RSS and Election Commission of committing an "act of treason" through alleged ‘vote chori’, describing it as a direct attack on the Constitution.

The controversy has prompted a wider Opposition offensive against Kumar. Several Opposition parties have demanded his resignation, while reports said Opposition leaders were considering another attempt to initiate proceedings for his removal.

The Congress has also called a meeting of its working committee on 29 September to discuss its strategy over the controversy surrounding the CEC and the SIR process.

With PTI inputs