Kiren Rijiju Slams Rahul Gandhi Over "Anti-India" Remarks On Poll Body

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday lashed out at Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of repeatedly making "anti-India" remarks and disrupting Parliament, even as the Election Commission strongly rebutted the Leader of the Opposition's allegations of "vote theft" in favour of the BJP.

"Rahul Gandhi is not a child. He is the Leader of the Opposition. Giving anti-national statements and disrupting Parliament is unacceptable," Mr Rijiju said. "Even Opposition leaders have condemned his statements. Inside Parliament, he says something and then something completely different outside," he said.

Mr Rijiju also said the continuous disruptions in Parliament were hurting the Opposition itself. "Opposition leaders are at a bigger loss due to Parliament not functioning - their issues are not being discussed. They do not raise issues under the proper rules," he added.

Rahul Gandhi's Allegations

Earlier in the day, Mr Gandhi, speaking to reporters inside the Parliament complex, levelled serious accusations against the Election Commission, alleging it was directly involved in "vote theft" to benefit the BJP.

"We have open-and-shut proof that the Election Commission is involved in vote theft," Mr Gandhi said. "I'm not saying this lightly - I have 100% proof. You will see when we release it. The country will see how one crore fake voters were added in states like Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra."

Calling the evidence a "political atom bomb," the Congress MP warned that action would be taken against Election Commission officials. "This is treason. And those responsible, from top to bottom, should know - we will not leave you. Whether you are in service or retired, we will find you," he said.

Poll Panel Hits Back

The Election Commission, in a sharp rejoinder, dismissed the allegations as "baseless" and "irresponsible". "Despite daily threats and baseless allegations, the Commission urges all election officials to continue working in a fair and transparent manner. These statements are best ignored," it said in a statement.

Minister On Congress President's Letter

Mr Rijiju also addressed Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's objections to the deployment of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel in the Rajya Sabha, stressing that this was done in response to Parliament members' concerns over security.

"There is no restriction on MPs speaking in the House. But when members stand on the treasury benches or climb tables, it becomes necessary to maintain order," the minister explained.

"The CISF has briefed us that actions will be taken only when someone crosses the boundary. Some MPs became aggressive and that's when the CISF intervened," he added.