Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday said he was "shocked" that President Droupadi Murmu did not reject the INDIA bloc's allegations of electoral manipulation during their meeting at Rashtrapati Bhavan, claiming that she instead asked the delegation to provide evidence of alleged vote theft.
Speaking to reporters after the nearly hour-long meeting, Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar had conspired to undermine Indian democracy.
The Congress leader said the Opposition delegation had submitted a memorandum outlining its concerns over the functioning of the Election Commission and alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Gandhi claimed that the President had neither challenged the allegations nor defended the electoral process during the discussion. However, his account of the meeting did not establish that Murmu had endorsed the Opposition's accusations, which remain unproven.
President sought evidence, says Rahul
Addressing reporters outside Rashtrapati Bhavan, Gandhi said the delegation had directly raised its allegations against the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and the Chief Election Commissioner.
He claimed that the President did not dispute the accusations but asked the Opposition to furnish supporting evidence.
Gandhi said he had expected Murmu to defend the integrity of India's electoral system and reject the charge that elections were being manipulated.
Instead, according to his account, she asked the delegation to submit proof of the alleged irregularities.
The Congress leader maintained that the Opposition had gathered evidence of electoral manipulation across several states and would present the material to the President.
He also alleged that the 2024 Lok Sabha election and several state elections had been compromised, although these allegations have not been established through an independent judicial finding.
Opposition submits memorandum
The delegation included Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and senior representatives of several INDIA bloc parties.
The leaders submitted a memorandum demanding Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in electoral roll revisions and the conduct of elections.
The Opposition also called for the replacement of electronic voting machines with ballot papers, arguing that changes were necessary to restore public confidence in the electoral process.
Kharge said the President had listened carefully to the delegation and asked for evidence supporting its allegations. He indicated that the Opposition was preparing to submit the relevant material.
Banerjee, meanwhile, reiterated that the INDIA bloc remained united in its campaign over electoral transparency and accountability.
Supreme Court move planned
Gandhi also announced that Opposition leaders would approach the Supreme Court on Monday to raise their concerns and submit the memorandum to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.
The announcement followed three consecutive days of protests by INDIA bloc leaders in Delhi, including attempted marches towards the Election Commission and Jantar Mantar, where several MPs were detained.
On Thursday, Opposition leaders gathered at Rajghat and staged a peaceful demonstration demanding Kumar's resignation.
The presidential meeting came ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party's proposed protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, which has prompted extensive security arrangements and restrictions on public transport in the capital.
The Election Commission has rejected allegations of electoral manipulation and maintained that electoral roll revisions are conducted under established legal procedures.
While Gandhi characterised the President's response as significant, there was no independent confirmation that Murmu had accepted the Opposition's allegations. Her reported request for evidence leaves the substantive claims to be examined through the appropriate institutional and legal processes.
India News
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