Evasion won't protect credibility: Rahul to EC; EC sources wonder why he's not writing directly
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit back at the Election Commission after sources in the poll panel rejected his allegation of rigging in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls, saying evasion would not protect its credibility but telling the truth would.
In an article, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged "match-fixing" in the Maharashtra polls and claimed that it would next happen in the Bihar elections and "anywhere the BJP is losing".
EC sources wondered as to why instead of writing to the poll panel directly, the Congress leader is seeking replies through newspaper writeups.
"It is very strange that despite EC's detailed letter to Congress on December 24 last year, Rahul Gandhi keeps speaking and writing to media seeking answers to his same unfounded doubts again and again," a functionary said.
ALSO READ: Rahul Gandhi claims "match-fixing" in Maharashtra polls, says Bihar is next
He also pointed out that EC had invited six national parties separately for interaction, and except the Congress, all the others met the poll authority.
The Congress had cancelled a meeting proposed by the EC for May 15.
"It is not clear as to why Rahul Gandhi is shying away from writing to the EC himself and get a reply," the functionary said.
Rahul Gandhi, on his part, has questioned the EC for responding to his posers through source-based inputs.
"Dear EC, You are a Constitutional body. Releasing unsigned, evasive notes to intermediaries is not the way to respond to serious questions," he said on X.
"If you have nothing to hide, answer the questions in my article and prove it by: Publishing consolidated, digital, machine-readable voter rolls for the most recent elections to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas of all states, including Maharashtra, and by releasing all post-5 pm CCTV footage from Maharashtra polling booths," he said.
"Evasion won't protect your credibility. Telling the truth will," the Congress leader said.
EC sources earlier rejected claims made by Rahul Gandhi about alleged irregularities in Maharashtra polls.
ALSO READ: Rahul Gandhi can't garner public support: BJP counters 'match-fixing' barb
Responding to the charges, EC sources said any misinformation being spread by anyone brings disrepute to the thousands of representatives appointed by political parties during elections, and demotivates lakhs of poll staff who work tirelessly for the gigantic exercise.
They also pointed out that unsubstantiated allegations raised against the electoral rolls of Maharashtra were an affront to the rule of law.
Underscoring that match-fixed elections are a "poison" for any democracy, Rahul Gandhi wrote that the side that cheats may win the game, but it damages institutions and destroys public faith.
The Congress leader earlier outlined the alleged electoral irregularities in a stepwise manner -- fake voters added, the voter turnout inflated, bogus voting facilitated and evidence subsequently hidden.
The Congress leader alleged that the 2024 Maharashtra elections were a "blueprint for rigging democracy" and this "match-fixing" would next happen "anywhere the BJP is losing".
"How to steal an election? Maharashtra assembly elections in 2024 were a blueprint for rigging democracy," he said while sharing an op-ed published in The Indian Express.
"My article shows how this happened, step by step: Step 1: Rig the panel for appointing the Election Commission. Step 2: Add fake voters to the roll. Step 3: Inflate voter turnout. Step 4: Target the bogus voting exactly where BJP needs to win. Step 5: Hide the evidence.
"It's not hard to see why the BJP was so desperate in Maharashtra. But rigging is like match-fixing -- the side that cheats might win the game, but it damages institutions and destroys public faith in the result. All concerned Indians must see the evidence. Judge for themselves. Demand answers," he said.
In his article titled "Match-fixing Maharashtra", Rahul Gandhi said, "Voter rolls and CCTV footage are tools to be used to strengthen democracy, not ornaments to be locked up. The people of India have a right to be assured that no records have been or will be trashed."
Stating that he doubted the fairness of Indian elections, Rahul Gandhi said, "Not every time, not everywhere, but often. I am not talking of small-scale cheating, but of industrial-scale rigging involving the capture of our national institutions."
"But if some earlier election outcomes seemed odd, the outcome of the 2024 Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha elections is glaringly strange," he noted.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
