- By Raju Kumar
- Wed, 19 Nov 2025 01:18 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Vote Chori Row: A group of nearly 272 eminent citizens, consisting of 16 ex-judges, 123 retired bureaucrats, including 14 retired ambassadors and 133 retired Armed forces officials, wrote an open letter to the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, and the Congress for allegedly attempting to tarnish constitutional bodies such as the Election Commission of India. They asserted that the allegations against the constitutional bodies are an "attempt to drape political frustration in the garb of institutional crisis".
"We, the senior citizens of civil society, express our grave concern that India’s democracy is under assault, not by force, but by a rising tide of venomous rhetoric directed toward its foundational institutions," the letter read.
"Some political leaders, instead of offering genuine policy alternative, resort to provocative but unsubstantiated accusations in their theatrical political strategy. After their attempts to tarnish the Indian Armed Forces by questioning their valour and accomplishments, and the Judiciary by questioning its fairness, Parliament, and its constitutional functionaries, now it is the turn of Election Commission of India to face systematic and conspiratorial attacks on its integrity and reputation. The Leader of Opposition, Lok Sabha, has repeatedly attacked the Election Commission, declaring that he has open and shut proof that the Election Commission is involved in vote theft and claimed that he has 100 per cent proof," they further stated.
The letter came at a time when Gandhi and his party alleged that the poll body favoured the NDA in the just-concluded Bihar election, in which the ruling alliance registered a historic victory with bagging 202 seats of of total 243 assembly constituencies.
Gandhi Raises Questions On SIR
Gandhi on Tuesday raised questions over the SIR process at a meeting with key AICC office-bearers of 12 states and Union Territories where the revision of electoral rolls is underway, and said the party must fight this politically, organisationally and legally.
During the meeting, Gandhi also said it is the Election Commission's duty to provide clean electoral rolls, but instead, it was trying to put the onus on political parties, according to the sources. Gandhi claimed that the procedure is being adopted hurriedly and claimed that it is intended to delete genuine voters, news agency, PTI, reported, quoting its sources.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Gandhi and AICC general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal participated in the review meeting with state unit chiefs, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leaders and secretaries of 12 states and UTs where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is underway.
Upping the ante over its 'vote chori' pitch, the Congress said the Election Commission's conduct during the SIR process has been "deeply disappointing" and demanded that the poll body must immediately demonstrate that it is not operating under the BJP's shadow.
Kharge, who chaired the meeting with key office-bearers of the 12 states and UTs where the SIR is underway, alleged that the BJP is attempting to weaponise the process for "vote chori".
(With PTI inputs)