Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 25 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has strongly rebutted the Opposition's allegations concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) issue and vote rigging claims, calling Rahul Gandhi a "serial liar" who spreads falsehoods without any foundation.
Speaking at the press conference, Fadnavis said, "Rahul Gandhi is a serial liar. He lies constantly. But a lie has no foundation. It collapses. They are convincing themselves because they don't realise that one is supposed to go between the public and win their trust and vote."
Fadnavis quoted the poet Mirza Ghalib sarcastically, saying, "'Dil behlane ke liye khayal achha hai Ghalib,'" suggesting the Opposition's statements are only meant to placate their supporters.
On Sunday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched a veiled attack against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and the opposition for alleging "vote theft" in the assembly elections, and said that they can't win the polls while lying to people and insulting them.
"They are just trying to console their own hearts and were attempting to tell their workers that they were indeed winning, that there was a conspiracy in their defeat, so that the workers don't scatter. Until they do self-introspection on their defeat, they won't win. Until they stop lying and insulting people, they cannot win," Fadnavis told reporters here.
His remarks come after Raj Thackeray on Saturday extended support to the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegations of "vote theft".
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut today alleged that the BJP-led Mahayuti government came to power through "vote theft" and claimed the issue is now being raised at the "national and international level."
Speaking to reporters, Raut said, "...The issue of vote theft has been in Maharashtra for 8 months; we have been raising questions on this. This issue was raised by Uddhav Thackeray, Raj Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, and Congress. Devendra Fadnavis' government came to power only through such vote theft. Where did our votes go? This question was asked by Raj Thackeray, and we also asked it. Now this issue of theft has been raised by Rahul Gandhi at the national level and is being taken to the international level..."
Earlier on Sunday, Rahul Gandhi, in a fresh attack on the Election Commission and the BJP, described the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Bihar as an "institutionalised way" of stealing votes.