'This is treason': Rahul Gandhi revives 'vote chori' charge after report of rift within EC

NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday revived his "vote chori" charge against the Election Commission and accused election officials of committing "treason".In a post on X, Rahul said, "I am telling the EC and election officials clearly: What you are doing is wrong. This is treason, this is against the country. Do not forget that. The time will come when we will catch you. You will not be able to escape."

His remarks came after an Indian Express report claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections to the poll panel's actions at least 14 times over the past 10 months during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.The report said the commissioners had flagged issues relating to the addition and deletion of voters as well as the handling of voter data.Senior Congress leaders KC Venugopal and P Chidambaram also stepped up their attack on the poll panel following the report.Chidambaram said the opposition had already contended that several decisions concerning the SIR were wrong and questioned how Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's view could become the decision of the Commission if the two Election Commissioners had taken a contrary position.

"The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that if the decision-making process is flawed or wrong, the decision will also be flawed or wrong. The opposition has contended that many decisions concerning SIR were wrong. Now, it is revealed that the decision-making process was also wrong," Chidambaram said."If two ECs have taken a contrary view, how could the CEC make his view the 'decision' of the ECI? All decisions of the ECI in recent years should be reviewed by a Parliamentary Committee.

Meanwhile, the SIR process should be suspended immediately all over the country," he added.Congress general secretary KC Venugopal also targeted CEC Gyanesh Kumar and demanded his removal."There is no doubt remaining. Mr Gyanesh Kumar has no right to remain in office. How the hell can one man, acting on His Master's orders, strike off names at whim? How can he sideline fellow Constitutional officers to only take blatantly illegal steps that put our democracy in danger?" Venugopal said."The right to vote is an essential Constitutional power given to every citizen, the fundamental bedrock of our democracy. If it is to be taken away, due process must be followed with utmost probity," he added.

EC rejects reports of differences

The Election Commission, however, rejected reports of differences within the poll panel over the SIR and said all decisions related to the exercise were taken unanimously.

Officials told news agency PTI that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi did raise concerns over some aspects of voter roll deletion and database handling, but these did not amount to disagreement with the final decisions taken by the Commission.EC sources said all decisions of the Commission, including those relating to the SIR, had the approval of Sandhu, Joshi and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.Officials also pointed out that the law governing the Election Commission, as well as a Supreme Court judgment, provides that decisions should, as far as possible, be taken unanimously. Where unanimity is not possible, the majority view prevails.