BJP accuses Rahul Gandhi of lying over President Murmu’s response to ‘vote chori’ allegations

The BJP on Friday accused Rahul Gandhi of lying about President Droupadi Murmu’s response to the opposition’s ‘vote chori’ allegations, rejecting his claim that she accepted the INDIA bloc’s concerns during a meeting with its delegation.

BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi termed Gandhi’s remarks “unfortunate and bizarre” and accused the Congress leader of using constitutional institutions for political purposes.

The row erupted after opposition leaders met President Murmu on Friday evening and submitted a memorandum alleging electoral malpractice. Speaking after the meeting, Gandhi said he was shocked that the President had not denied the allegations of election theft and had accepted what the delegation told her.

Trivedi rejected that account, insisting that Gandhi’s claim was untrue. He alleged that the Congress leader was repeatedly drawing constitutional institutions into political controversies and said his latest remarks crossed the limits.

Why did the INDIA bloc meet President Murmu?

The opposition delegation sought the President’s intervention over alleged vote theft and demanded action on several electoral issues.

In its memorandum, the INDIA bloc called for the suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists and the restoration of 13.3 crore voters it alleged had been illegally removed from electoral rolls. It also demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the repeal of assembly elections held over the previous two years and a return to paper ballots for future polls.

The delegation further sought the repeal of the 2023 law granting lifetime immunity to chief election commissioners and election commissioners.

The opposition cited alleged electoral irregularities in several states, including Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Delhi and West Bengal, claiming that the issue threatened the foundations of democracy.

What did Rahul Gandhi say about the President’s response?

After the meeting, Gandhi said he had expected President Murmu to reject the allegation that elections were being stolen or to affirm that India had a free and fair electoral system.

Instead, he claimed, the President neither denied the opposition’s allegations nor questioned its statements, and asked the delegation to provide evidence of ‘vote chori’.

Gandhi said the opposition was prepared to submit its evidence when the President was ready to receive it. He also announced that INDIA bloc leaders planned to meet Chief Justice Surya Kant on Monday and submit a memorandum to the Supreme Court, saying they wanted to pursue all available options.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also said the delegation would provide the evidence sought by the President. Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee described the meeting as positive and said the INDIA bloc remained united.

BJP questions Gandhi’s version of events

Trivedi challenged Gandhi’s description of the meeting, arguing that his claim about the President’s response appeared politically motivated rather than truthful.

The BJP spokesperson also referred to the body language and facial expressions of the leaders standing beside Gandhi after the meeting, suggesting that their reactions raised questions about his account of the interaction.

Trivedi said the actual details of the meeting would need to be clarified by someone outside the INDIA bloc delegation.

The exchange comes amid an intensifying opposition campaign over the Election Commission and the revision of electoral rolls, with INDIA bloc leaders staging protests and marches in recent days over their ‘vote chori’ allegations.

With PTI inputs