Union Minister Criticizes Rahul Gandhi's Allegations Against Election Commission

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday criticized Rahul Gandhi for his recent allegations against the Election Commission of India (ECI), describing the Congress leader's statements as lacking logic and foundation. Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, Joshi revealed that the ECI had sent a letter to Gandhi on June 12, asking him to visit the commission's office and explain the details of his claims. However, Gandhi has yet to respond, which Joshi argues indicates a 'lack of seriousness' in his accusations.

'They lecture us about the Election Commission without any basis or logic... On June 12, the EC asked him to explain the facts, but he has not done so, showcasing his lack of seriousness,' Joshi stated. The Union Minister further pointed out that the Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Haryana had requested Gandhi to submit a signed affidavit to initiate formal proceedings, which he has not yet provided. Joshi suggested that Gandhi only criticizes the ECI and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) when his party loses elections, while accepting the results when they win.

'When they won the Lok Sabha election in Maharashtra, everything was fine... In 2023, they won in Karnataka, but when we won in 2024, they questioned the electoral roll. Is there any logic to this? They blame losses on the Election Commission and EVMs, but accept wins without issue,' Joshi remarked. The comments come in response to Gandhi's accusation that the BJP and ECI colluded to aid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's re-election, further alleging the commission's destruction of evidence via its directive to preserve CCTV and webcasting footage for just 45 days post-election unless contested in court.

(With inputs from agencies.)