"Take Gyanesh Kumar To US": Congress's Jibe After Trump Praises Indian Polls

The Congress has taken a swipe at US President Donald Trump's praise for the Indian election system and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera on Tuesday asked the US leader to "take" Gyanesh Kumar and promised to send the electronic voting machines to America.

Khera posted after the US President renewed his call for the passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, citing India's election system and voter identification requirements.

"Dear @realDonaldTrump, please take Gyanesh Kumar to America. And keep him there. We will send our EVMs too by the next available flight. For all the insults and bullying you've sent our way, this is the least we can do for you. To SIR, With Love, from India," he posted on X.

Dear @realDonaldTrump,

Please take Gyanesh Kumar Gupta to America. And keep him there. We will send our EVMs too by the next available flight.

For all the insults and bullying you've sent our way, this is the least we can do for you.

To SIR With Love,
from India. pic.twitter.com/vyS8sUETjF

— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 ಪವನ್ ಖೇರಾ (@Pawankhera) August 18, 2026

The Congress leader's remarks came after Donald Trump publicly invoked India's electoral model in a bid to push the SAVE Act.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump recalled remarks attributed to India's Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar earlier this month regarding voter identification requirements in the US.

"Earlier this month, India's Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, asked our Administration: How can you have Elections in the US without a valid Photo ID?" Trump said.

Referring to India's last general election, Trump said, "India's last Election had 646,000,000 Voters! Less than 1 per cent voted by mail, and every single Voter had to have a VALID Photo Identity Document."

Trump reiterated his call for Congress to pass the SAVE Act, saying, "We need to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, now!"

Donald Trump's Truth Social post

According to the White House, the legislation is aimed at ensuring that only US citizens participate in deciding federal elections.

The White House said the proposed legislation would require voters to provide valid identification before registering to vote in a federal election, along with proof of citizenship.

"American citizens -- and only American citizens -- should decide American elections," the White House said, describing the SAVE Act as a "common sense, bipartisan bill."

The Congress has long attacked CEC Gyanesh Kumar over what the party alleges is his "biased" behaviour towards the ruling party. Kumar and the Election Commission have repeatedly rejected the charges and have maintained that the election process in India is "free and fair".

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor endorsed President Donald Trump's renewed push for strict nationwide voter identification laws under the SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) Act.

Citing India's 2024 general election as a global benchmark for voter authentication, Gor backed Trump's stance that robust, universal photo identification is essential for maintaining election integrity and for revamping American election procedures by explicitly pointing to the scale and mechanics of India's voting system.

In a post on X, Gor said, "President Donald J Trump is absolutely correct! 646 MILLION voters, every single one required an ID in India's last election. Congress should pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT!"