‘I Have Taken Oath of Constitution’: Rahul Gandhi’s Retort to Election Commission’s Dare
Responding to the Election Commission’s challenge that he either sign a sworn declaration backing his voter fraud allegations or apologise, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday retorted that he has already taken the oath of the Constitution. The defiant statement, made in Bengaluru, signals an escalation in the high-stakes confrontation between the Leader of the Opposition and the country’s top electoral body.
“The Election Commission demands an affidavit from me. It says that I must take an oath. I have already taken the oath of the Constitution in Parliament,” Gandhi declared, doubling down on his explosive claims. He further accused the poll panel of attempting to conceal information, alleging that the Election Commission websites in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar have been shut down.
“Today, when the people of the country are asking questions about our data, the Election Commission has shut down its website,” Gandhi claimed. “The Election Commission knows that if the public starts questioning them, their entire structure will collapse.”
The war of words began on Thursday after Gandhi accused the Election Commission of “colluding with the BJP” in a “huge criminal fraud” to steal elections. He alleged a “vote chori” (vote theft) of over 100,000 votes in a single Karnataka constituency, citing evidence of duplicate voters, fake addresses, and other irregularities. In response, Election Commission sources dared him to formally submit his claims under oath, as required by electoral rules, or apologise to the nation for making “absurd allegations.”
Undeterred, Gandhi reiterated that the data his party had collected amounted to “criminal evidence” and accused the commission of “destroying such proof across the country.” He called for the judiciary to intervene, making the grim assertion that “the democracy that we love so much, does not exist anymore.”
The chief electoral officers of several states have formally asked Gandhi to provide the specific details of his claims along with a signed declaration to enable them to initiate proceedings
