New Delhi [India], August 18 : Congress MP and Deputy Leader of Opposition Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi on Monday lambasted the Election Commission of India (ECI) for "evading" accountability and questions being raised by the opposition regarding the "hurried" conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
Alleging that the EC was operating under officials who remain "biased," Gogoi pointed out that the constitutional body didn't take different political parties into confidence before conducting the SIR drive in Bihar and remained silent on doubts related to the addition of 70 lakh voters within months after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra concluded.
"When the elections to the Bihar assembly are merely months away, why did the Election Commission not take different political parties into confidence before carrying out SIR? EC was silent on this question. They were also silent on how 70 lakh new voters were added between the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections. It is clear that EC is under such officials who are not unbiased," Gogoi said while addressing a press conference at the Constitution Club of India.
Highlighting the importance of the right to vote to keep democracy alive, the Congress leader said that the Election Commission, which is the guardian of this suffrage, was unable to answer questions about the alleged discrepancies in elections and electoral rolls revision.
"The right to vote is the most important right mentioned in the constitution, which keeps our democracy alive. The guardian of this right to vote is the Election Commission of India, which is a constitutional body. However, the EC is unable to answer questions being raised by various political parties across the country. The EC is trying to run away from its accountability," Gogoi said.
He further alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar held a press conference only to attack the opposition parties, raising questions instead of explaining the hurried conduct of the SIR drive in Bihar.
"The Supreme Court's observation regarding the SIR drive in Bihar rejects all crucial arguments of the EC. Despite this, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) held a presser only to attack political parties instead of explaining the hurried conduct of the SIR exercise," Gogoi added.
His remarks come after CEC Kumar on Sunday refuted all the recent "vote theft" claims made by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. He termed allegations of bias by the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Lok Sabha an "insult" to the Indian Constitution.
The CEC also asked Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to either furnish a signed affidavit or apologise to the nation for his remarks. "An affidavit will have to be given, or an apology should be made to the country. Teesra koi vikalp nahi (There is no third option.) If the affidavit is not received within seven days, it means that all these allegations are baseless."
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi hit back at the CEC Kumar, alleging that the ECI is asking for an affidavit from him but doesn't from BJP MP Anurag Thakur when he makes the same allegations.
"The Election Commission asks for an affidavit from me. But when Anurag Thakur says the same thing that I am saying, it does not ask for an affidavit from him," Gandhi said.