Rahul Gandhi.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: As Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi announced a “direct fight to end ‘vote chori’ (vote theft) once and for all”, the Election Commission on Thursday called the campaign a creation of a “false narrative” using “dirty phrases” and a “direct attack” on voters and an “assault on the integrity” of election staff.
“Trying to create a false narrative by using dirty phrases like ‘vote chori’ for our electors, is not only a direct attack on the crores of Indian electors but also an assault on the integrity of lakhs of election staff,” the EC said.
In an apparent reference to Rahul’s assertion that he is fighting to ensure ‘One Person, One Vote’, the EC said the law is already in existence since the first election of India in 1951-1952.
“If anyone has any proof of any person actually voting twice in any election, it should be shared with ECI with a written Affidavit rather than colouring all the electors of India as ‘chor’ (thief) without any proof,” it said.
Rahul said, “on August 17, we set out for the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar, a direct fight to end ‘vote chori’ once and for all. This is not just about elections. It is about defending our democracy, our Constitution, and the core principle of ‘One Person, One Vote’.”
“We will not stop until every voter list in the country is clean and fair. Young people, workers, farmers and every citizen - this is your call to rise and join a movement that belongs to all of us. This time, the Vote Chors lose. The people win. The Constitution wins,” he said.
The Congress is all set to start its national campaign against "vote theft" with a candlelight march at district level on Thursday. As part of the Congress campaign, rallies in state capitals will be held between August 22 and September 7 while a signature campaign will take place between September 15 and October 15.
The I.N.D.I.A. bloc is starting the 'yatra' in Bihar on August 17 in Sasaram and it will end in Patna on September 1.