'Wake up at 4am, delete 2 voters': Rahul Gandhi's 'chunav ka chaukidaar' jibe; BJP hits back

NEW DELHI: Congress person Rahul Gandhi connected Friday repeated his "vote chori" complaint and criticised the Election Commission, terming it an "Chunaav ka chaukidar" (election watchman) who "stayed awake, watched the theft, and protected the thieves".His remarks came a time aft helium accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of shielding those who "destroyed democracy".

To enactment his allegation, Gandhi cited information from a Karnataka assembly constituency and said votes of Congress supporters were being deliberately deleted.The Election Commission rejected the claims, calling them "incorrect and baseless". It said, "No deletion of immoderate ballot tin beryllium done online by immoderate subordinate of the public, arsenic misconceived by Gandhi."

Meanwhile, successful a station successful Hindi connected X connected Friday, Gandhi, portion sharing a 36-second video from his Thursday's property conference, wrote, "Wake up astatine 4am Eliminate 2 voters successful 36 seconds, Then spell backmost to slumber - this is however ballot theft happens!" He added, "Chunaav ka chaukidar jaagta raha, chori dekhta raha, choron ko bachata raha (The predetermination watchman stayed awake, watched the theft, and protected the thieves)."

BJP's response

The Bharatiya Janata Party deed backmost astatine Gandhi’s remarks. Parliamentary affairs curate Kiren Rijiju said Gandhi had to judge that his enactment of the Congress had "failed", starring to repeated predetermination losses, portion the younker were supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Rijiju said Gandhi had "abused" India’s antiauthoritarian strategy and added, "The federation won't judge Rahul Gandhi..."He further said, "The poor, the farmers, and the communal radical see PM Modi their leader. After losing elections, if Rahul Gandhi keeps blaming the strategy to fell his weaknesses, nary 1 tin judge it. The state has changed and, nether PM Modi's leadership, India has progressed.""People similar Rahul Gandhi privation to halt the motor that is driving India forward..."

Rijiju added.

BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad besides attacked Rahul Gandhi’s statements and said helium does not hole earlier making nationalist remarks.Prasad told reporters, "What has happened to Rahul Gandhi? How overmuch volition helium lie? You are deceiving the democracy. I person antecedently said that Rahul Gandhi ne'er does his homework."He besides said, "Yesterday, helium addressed a property league wherever helium showed the representation of the Chief Election Commissioner.

Election Commission volition support itself, but you are showing the representation of Gyanesh Kumar, who precocious became the Election Commissioner, and you are blaming him for the 2023 polls."On Gandhi’s remarks astir Aland, Prasad said the Congress campaigner had won determination and that Gandhi’s statements enactment his party’s person astatine risk."He talked astir the Aland constituency, wherever the BJP won (elections) till 2018 but mislaid successful 2023, portion Congress won by 248 votes.

Rahul Gandhi, you are bringing occupation for your ain candidate. Have you mislaid each consciousness of intent and propriety?" Prasad said.In his caller violative against the Election Commission, Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition successful the Lok Sabha, had said Thursday that the canvass sheet indispensable halt protecting "vote chors" and supply wrong a week accusation sought by the Karnataka CID successful an probe into elector deletions.If not, it volition beryllium known for definite that the canvass assemblage is complicit successful the "murder of the Constitution", Gandhi alleged astatine his property league astatine the Congress' Indira Bhawan office here.And this, helium said astatine the outset, was not the "hydrogen bomb" revelations that helium had promised. That volition hap soon.Gandhi cited details of alleged attempts to delete 6,018 votes successful Karnataka's Aland constituency successful the tally up to 2023 assembly polls. He besides gave the illustration of Maharashtra's Rajura constituency wherever helium claimed 6,850 voters were added successful a "fraudulent" mode utilizing automated software.