Rahul Gandhi's presser exposed India's biggest electoral fraud: Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Wednesday said Rahul Gandhi's press conference has exposed India's "biggest electoral fraud" and slammed the Election Commission, saying the poll body that stays "asleep" on hate-filled speeches suddenly becomes active in removing genuine voters from the electoral roll and adding fake ones.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh claimed that the revision of voter list is actually "vote theft".
Ramesh's remarks came after Gandhi, at a press conference here, claimed that the Haryana assembly polls last year were "stolen".
Reacting to Gandhi's remarks, Election Commission officials said his charge is "unfounded" as no appeals were filed against the electoral rolls in Haryana.
In his post on X, Ramesh said, "Rahul Gandhi's press conference has exposed India's biggest electoral fraud. 25 lakh fake voters in Haryana -- prepared with the full knowledge of the BJP and the silent consent of the Election Commission."
"The Modi-Shah model is clear: when public support isn't forthcoming, just change the voter list itself," the Congress leader said.
"The same Election Commission that stays asleep on hate-filled speeches suddenly becomes active in removing genuine voters from the list and adding fake ones. This isn't a revision of the voter list— it's vote theft," Ramesh said.
Earlier, Gandhi cited electoral list data to claim that 25 lakh entries were fake and the Election Commission colluded with the BJP to make the party win in Haryana.
The elaborate plan included a Brazilian model whose photograph was used 22 times in 10 booths in the Rai assembly constituency during the 2024 assembly elections, the former Congress president said at the press conference during which he put up a presentation to back his claim.
The poll authority, Gandhi added, launched "Operation Sarkar Chori" to convert the landslide victory of his party into a loss in the state
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said he is questioning the Election Commission and the democratic process in the country and is doing so with 100 per cent proof.
Gandhi also alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the two election commissioners colluded with the BJP to ensure the ruling party's victory in Haryana and claimed "they are in partnership" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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Ramadan, Lent coincide this year, happens once in three decades: How it happens, when it will occur
This year, Ramadan and Lent are reportedly being observed during the same period, a calendar overlap that happens only once in roughly 30 to 33 years.
According to a post by ‘That Dubai Page’ on Instagram both are important periods of fasting in Islam and Christianity respectively, but they follow different calendars, which is why their dates usually do not align.
What is Lent?
Lent is a 40-day period in the Christian liturgical calendar observed before Easter.
It is marked by fasting, prayer, repentance and self-examination.
The duration of 40 days reflects the time Jesus is believed to have fasted in the wilderness. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends before Easter Sunday, and the feast mass is celebrated on Saturday.
The exact dates change every year because they are linked to Easter, which is calculated based on the Christian liturgical calendar.
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer and spiritual discipline. From dawn to sunset each day, adult and able-bodied Muslims abstain from food and drink. The fast is broken at sunset.
Unlike Lent, Ramadan does not follow the Gregorian calendar.
According to admiddleeast.com , Ramadan depends on the sighting of the new crescent moon, known as the hilāl, which signals the start of the new lunar month.
Religious committees in many Muslim-majority countries meet after sunset on the 29th day of the preceding month, Sha‘ban, to look for the moon.
If it is sighted, Ramadan begins the next day. If not, Sha‘ban is completed as a 30-day month and Ramadan starts after that.
While Saudi Arabias announcement is widely followed, each country makes its own official declaration.
Why dont they always overlap?
The Islamic lunar calendar has around 354 days, which is about 10 to 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar.
Because of this difference, Ramadan shifts earlier by about 10 or 11 days each year. Over time, it moves through all seasons.
Lent, on the other hand, is tied to Easter and the Christian liturgical calendar. Since the two religious observances are based on different systems for calculating dates, they rarely fall at the same time.
How often does the overlap happen?
The overlap happens in cycles of approximately 30 to 33 years. When it happens, Ramadan and Lent may coincide for a few consecutive years. After that, they do not align again for decades.
Following the current cycle, major overlaps are not expected again until the 2050s.
