Rahul Gandhi Criticises Indian Institutions Abroad Again: Calls Election Commission 'Compromised', Questions Voter Turnout

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has again criticised Indian democratic institutions abroad. The recent remarks came on Sunday (20 April) when he delivered a speech at an event in Boston, United States (US). Congress' overseas president Sam Pitroda can be seen accompanying him on stage.

The leader of the opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha expressed doubts over the voter turnout in the 2024 Maharashtra assembly election and said, "The Election Commission gave us a figure in the evening, and in two hours, 65 lakh voters had voted, which is physically impossible."

The statement comes even after then Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar explained that the voter turnout increases after some time because the Election Commission of India (ECI) cannot present a real-time data due to logisitics issues.

"For a voter to vote, it takes approx 3 minutes, and if you do the Math, it would mean that there were lines of voters till 2 AM, but this did not happen...When we asked them for the video graphy, they not only refused but they also changed the law so that now we are not allowed to ask for the video graphy," Gandhi further said.

The Congress member of Parliament (MP) also called the ECI 'compromised' and alleged that there was “something very wrong with the system.” "More people voted in the Maharashtra Assembly elections than there are adults in Maharashtra," he claimed.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did a press conference to counter Gandhi's statements. BJP MP Sambit Patra said, "This is Rahul Gandhi's old habit of insulting the country on foreign soil... He has been doing this for a long time."

Referring to Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi being named in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) chargesheet in the National Herald Case, Patra said, "Those who are out on bail of Rs 50,000, if they feel they can destroy the image of this great democracy by going abroad and speaking their then they are totally on the wrong side of the line."