Rahul sticks to his oft-repeated line on Vote Chori :::: BJP's Nishikant Dubey said Indira Gandhi's Raebareli in 1975 was a case of Vote theft ::: This episode in the ultimate led to imposition of Emergency :::: Whether “vote theft” charges will apply to Congress win in Jharkhand, Karnataka and Telangana ??

During the ongoing debate on electoral reforms in the Lok Sabha, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accused the Congress of undermining India’s democratic system. 

He said, “Congress has tarnished the Constitution of India; Indira Gandhi won Raebareli by ‘vote chori’ (vote theft). We are proud to be from the RSS.”

Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi speaking in the Lok Sabha on election reforms, accused the BJP of committing “vote chori” in collusion with the Election Commission.

He called it the “biggest anti-national act.” He questioned the removal of the CJI from the EC selection panel, the 2023 law granting immunity to election commissioners, and the shortening of CCTV retention. 

Citing alleged voter-list fraud in Haryana, he said the polls were “stolen.” Gandhi urged full EVM access, transparent voter lists, and reversal of recent legal changes.  

Responding to National Conference leader Ramzan Choudhary’s comment that Muslims cannot sing Vande Mataram, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) MP Milind Murli Deora on Tuesday invoked composer AR Rahman’s iconic rendition to counter the claim.

“A.R. Rahman’s version of Vande Mataram seems like a rendition by a proud Indian Muslim. It proves people like NC MP Ramzan wrong,” Deora said in Delhi, stressing that patriotic expressions cannot be confined to religious lines.

Deora’s remarks come amid a sharp political back-and-forth triggered by the NC leader’s statement, which drew criticism from several parties who said Vande Mataram is a national song that transcends religious identity. 

Rahman’s 1997 composition, widely celebrated across the country, has often been cited as a unifying cultural symbol.

Reacting sharply to Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s address in the Lok Sabha during the debate on electoral reforms, BJP MP Sambit Patra accused him of spreading “falsehoods” and issuing unprecedented threats to constitutional authorities.

“The facts presented by LoP Rahul Gandhi on the floor of the House were full of falsehoods. They were not facts, they were lies,” Patra said. He alleged that Gandhi went to the extent of threatening the Election Commission and Election Commissioners with “dire consequences,” something he called unmatched in parliamentary history.

“Never before would you find the LoP or any other leader threatening a judicial body like the Election Commission with such intimidation. ‘If we come to power, we will not spare you’, this kind of threat is a sign of arrogance and ignorance,” Patra remarked.

Countering Gandhi’s charge of “vote theft” in Haryana, Bihar and Maharashtra, Patra said the allegation amounted to insulting the people who voted. “This is disrespect to voters, women, youth, farmers. You are effectively saying that the mandate given by citizens was stolen,” he said.

He further challenged Gandhi by asking whether the same allegations of “vote theft” would apply to Congress victories in states such as Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka and Telangana. “If your theory is correct, does it hold good for the states where Congress has formed governments?” he asked.