Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday hit back at Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his allegations of “vote theft,” accusing him of misleading voters ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.
Speaking at an election rally in Dinara, Rohtas, Singh challenged Gandhi to submit a formal complaint to the Election Commission if he genuinely believed that votes were being stolen.
“If Rahul Gandhi thinks the people’s votes in Bihar are being stolen, why doesn’t he file a written complaint with the Election Commission?” Singh said. “Can politics not be done by speaking the truth? Is lying necessary to build a political career?”
Large-scale voter fraud
In a press conference on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi alleged “large-scale voter fraud” in the 2024 Haryana assembly elections. He referred to the list of voters issued by the Election Commission ahead of the Haryana assembly polls and alleged that there were nearly 25 lakh fake votes in the state. He stated that a corrupt voter list undermines democracy.
Questioning Rahul Gandhi for “not giving opportunity to any backward-class leader” from his party to become Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP), Singh asserted that the NDA gives equal and adequate representation to all.
“If Rahul Gandhi is so worried about the backward classes and Dalits, why did he become the Leader of the Opposition himself? Why did he not give an opportunity to a backwards-class leader from his party? And then he advocates for social justice… NDA gives equal and adequate representation to all,” the Defence Minister said.
Making “impractical” promises
Targeting Mahagathbandhan over poll promises, Singh accused them of making “impractical” promises.
“These people want to become successful by lying to people. I want to ask RJD and Congress, how is it possible to give a government job to every household? Why would you promise something which is not practically possible?… All of you are educated and you know that under no circumstances can this be made possible… However, we will try to provide employment to all those who want it. This is our target… Farmers will be given Rs 9000 under the Kisaan Samman Nidhi when we form the government in Bihar,” he said.
Lashing out at the Congress over Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s remarks, the Union Minister accused them of achieving political success by “creating a divide” between the communities.
Rajnath Singh said, “I heard the Telangana CM say, ‘Congress matlab musalmaan, musalmaan matlab Congress’. I was beyond shocked to hear this. They have achieved political success by creating a divide between Hindus and Muslims. We will not do politics on caste, religion, and creed, and we don’t care if we succeed or not. We will do politics only based on justice and humanity.”
The first phase of the Bihar elections, which saw a record voter turnout of 65.08 per cent, marked the highest polling percentage in the state’s history.
The first phase of polling in Bihar concluded recently, with elections for 122 seats scheduled on November 11 for the second phase. The results of the Bihar Assembly elections are slated to be announced on November 14.
(With ANI Inputs)
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Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
