‘We’re going to come for you’: Rahul Gandhi’s message to Election Commission on bogus voter addition/deletion

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, on Thursday warned the Election Commission that the opposition would not let them get away with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar.

“I want to send a message to the Election Commission: If you think you are going to get away with it, if your officers think they are going to get away with it, you are mistaken. You are not going to get away with it, because we are going to come for you”, the Lok Sabha LoP told reporters outside Parliament, just after the House was adjourned.

He accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of indulging in “cheating” during the voter list revision process in a Karnataka constituency. Gandhi claimed to have “100 per cent” proof of the alleged manipulation, which involves adding and deleting voters, but hasn’t presented any evidence yet.

He alleged that thousands of new voters aged 50, 60, and 65 have been added to the list in a single constituency and eligible voters above 18 have been removed from the list.

#WATCH | “… I want to send a message to the Election Commission, that if you think you are going to get away with it, you are mistaken. We are going to come for you,” says Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi on the SIR exercise being carried out in Bihar. pic.twitter.com/pp3ZD39iAh

— ANI (@ANI) July 24, 2025

“Today we have 100 per cent proof of Election Commission allowing cheating in a seat in Karnataka. When we decide to show it to you, it is 100 per cent proof. We just looked at one constituency and we found this. I am absolutely convinced that constituency after constituency this is the drama. Thousands of new votes, aged 50 or 60, 65 (are there) in one constituency. Then voter deletion, people who are way above 18”, he said.

The opposition parties, including Congress and Samajwadi Party, have been protesting against the SIR exercise, alleging that it’s an attempt to disenfranchise voters, particularly from marginalised communities. They claim that the process is being used to remove names from the voters’ list, which could impact the outcome of upcoming assembly elections.

Reiterating the claim that the poll panel is not fulfilling its duties, the Lok Sabha LoP added, “I have said this yesterday too, this is a very serious matter. Election Commission is not functioning as the Election Commission of India. Today they made some statement, this is complete nonsense. The fact of the matter is that the Election Commission is not doing its job.”

Rahul Gandhi, along with other opposition MPs like Akhilesh Yadav and DMK MP TR Baalu, held protests in Parliament premises, raising slogans against the Election Commission and the BJP-led NDA government. The MPs held posters that read “SIR is the murder of democracy” and “Justice, Justice, Justice,” demonstrating their strong opposition to the SIR exercise.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has defended the revision process, stating that it’s aimed at ensuring the purity of elections by removing ineligible voters from the rolls. The commission has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, affirming its authority to verify citizenship details in the interest of electoral integrity.

The LoP had referred to an earlier statement of the EC defending the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in poll-bound Bihar. The poll panel urged parties to think deeply, “going beyond political ideologies.”

The ECI questioned its critics and asked if it should allow fake votes to be cast in the names of deceased and migrated voters.

“The Constitution of India is the mother of Indian democracy. So, fearing these things, should the Election Commission, getting misled by some people, pave the way for some to cast fake votes in the name of deceased voters, voters who have migrated permanently, voters who have got their votes registered at two places, fake voters or foreign voters, going against the Constitution, first in Bihar, then in the entire country?” it said.

Furthermore, the ECI inquired whether preparing an authentic voter list is a foundation for fair elections in the country. “Isn’t the authentic voter list being prepared by the Election Commission through a transparent process, the foundation stone for fair elections and a strong democracy?” the statement by ECI said.

The Election Commission urged citizens to consider these questions while setting aside their political ideologies. “On these questions, sometime or the other, all of us and all the citizens of India will have to think deeply, going beyond political ideologies. And perhaps the most appropriate time for this essential thinking for all of you has now arrived in India,” the election body said.

The opposition bloc has been protesting against the SIR in Bihar for four consecutive days. Opposition parties have called for a discussion in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha regarding the revision exercise, alleging manipulation of voter rolls. (ANI)