‘Brain stolen': BJP attacks Rahul Gandhi over ‘vote chori' claim; Kharge chants ‘save democracy'

Mint

3 days ago

Senior BJP leaders launched a coordinated and blistering attack on Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, following his explosive allegations of voter fraud in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The saffron party accused the Congress MP of undermining public trust in democratic institutions and indulging in what they described as a 'conspiracy against India's Constitution'.
The sharpest criticism came from Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, who ridiculed Rahul Gandhi's claims of election rigging by questioning his mental faculties. 'I feel that, maybe, he (Gandhi) should get it (brain) checked,' Fadnavis told reporters near Panaji. 'Either his brain has been stolen or chip in his brain is missing. That is why he is making such statements often.'
Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, 7 August, alleged that the BJP had 'stolen' votes in a Karnataka Lok Sabha constituency with the help of the Election Commission. Calling it a 'criminal fraud', the Congress MP claimed that analysis of voter data revealed electoral manipulation aimed at helping the ruling party clinch key seats.
'There is a huge criminal fraud being perpetrated across the country by the Election Commission and the party in power,' Rahul Gandhi said, directly implicating both the EC and the BJP in what he described as a nationwide subversion of democracy.
Responding to the allegations, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra accused Rahul Gandhi of inciting political instability and threatening constitutional authorities.
'Rahul Gandhi said that if there is no reply to my press conference, then there will be serious consequences,' Patra claimed. 'He said that if the opposition comes to power in the future, then they will take action against each official of the Election Commission of India. Is this the language of a Leader of the Opposition? This is a language of election rage.'
Sambit Patra went on to label Gandhi's comments as 'frustration of the highest order,' and criticised the Congress for remaining silent when it won elections in other states. 'If the Election Commission of India is compromised, as he says, then how can they celebrate their victory on 99 seats in the Lok Sabha elections?' he asked.
In a further escalation, Sambit Patra also brought up Rahul Gandhi's previous controversies, including his remarks on China and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. 'Rahul Gandhi has to apologise for the kind of language he used to disrespect Veer Savarkar… He also had to apologise for his remarks on China. What is your credibility?' he said. 'Rahul Gandhi lacks credibility. His words have no meaning.'
He further suggested that Rahul Gandhi should formally submit an affidavit to the Election Commission to support his claims, instead of airing them publicly without evidence. Patra even questioned whether national security operations, like the Pulwama retaliation ("Operation Sindoor"), were misused to sway public sentiment and blunt anti-incumbency.
The ruling party issued a broader condemnation of Gandhi's accusations, calling them part of a 'systematic campaign' to discredit constitutional institutions. 'This is a calculated deceit,' said senior BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad. 'Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition, has made irresponsible and shameless comments.'
Referring to Gandhi's labelling of the EC as 'fraudulent', Prasad said: 'He is insulting the people of the country who voted for Modiji for his work, honesty, and progress of the country under his leadership.'
Prasad also took aim at Gandhi's ongoing legal troubles. 'You keep roaming across the country to get bail in defamation cases and you call somebody a fraud? I strongly condemn Rahul Gandhi for his utterances,' he said.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge sharply criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of abandoning its constitutional neutrality and acting like a "representative of the ruling party."
In a strong statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), Kharge lamented that the ECI, once hailed globally for conducting free and fair elections, now responds to legitimate questions from opposition parties with counter-allegations and "baseless statements," rather than upholding constitutional dignity.
Referring to Rahul Gandhi's allegations of large-scale vote manipulation in Karnataka's Mahadevapura Assembly segment, Kharge claimed that over one lakh votes were 'stolen' in what he described as a clear case of institutional failure.