Addressing the Hertie School in Germany on the topic of “Politics is the art of listening”, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi once again brought up “vote theft” allegations and said that his party has been consistently raising concerns about the “fairness of elections” in India.
“There is a full-scale assault taking place on the institutional framework of our country. We asked direct questions to the Election Commission,” he said.
He also pointed to what he described as serious problems with voter lists, citing an example of a Brazilian woman’s name appearing 22 times on the voters’ list in Haryana. Gandhi said the party did not receive any reply on this issue and believes there are deep flaws in how India’s election system is functioning.
‘ED, CBI have been weaponised,’ claims Rahul Gandhi, says central agencies being used to target Opposition
Rahul Gandhi, who is on a 5-day visit to Germany, further accused the Centre of using investigating agencies like Enforcement Directorate and CBI to pressure political opponents and influence businesses to support the BJP.
“ED and CBI have zero cases against the BJP, and most of the political cases are against the people who oppose them,” he said.
Gandhi claimed that businessmen who try to support the Congress face threats, and that the BJP is using state institutions to strengthen its political hold. He also pointed to the wide gap in financial resources between the BJP and opposition parties.
Gandhi said this situation amounts to an attack on India’s democratic system. He added that the Congress plans to build a strong and organised resistance to what he described as the takeover of key institutions, stressing that the party’s fight is against the misuse of these institutions, and not against any one political party.
BJP rips into Rahul Gandhi’s speech
Hitting back at Gandhi’s strong allegations in Germany, BJP president JP Nadda accused him of choosing to speak at foreign events instead of being present in Parliament. He said that Gandhi’s remarks are tarnishing India’s image on foreign soil.
BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari also slammed Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party for the former’s remarks, alleging that they want disorder and instability in India’s democratic system.
In a post on X, Bhandari claimed that the Congress, along with what he called its ideological backers, was trying to create unrest and that Rahul Gandhi travels abroad to bring together forces he described as anti-India. He further alleged that the Congress is against India’s democratic values and the country’s progress.
Union minister of state Shobha Karandlaje also attacked the Congress leader, accusing him of speaking against the country while abroad. She questioned what he hoped to achieve through such actions and said she did not see him acting like a responsible leader. She also claimed that in Karnataka, the Congress was focused on internal power struggles rather than development work.