NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday claimed that President Droupadi Murmu did not dispute the Opposition’s allegations of “vote chori” during a meeting with INDIA bloc leaders, but asked them to provide evidence.The delegation, led by Rahul, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, met the President of India to submit a memorandum over the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and demand Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.The meeting followed a march by INDIA bloc MPs from Parliament House to Vijay Chowk, where police stopped them with barricades. The delegation submitted a memorandum to Murmu over the Opposition’s allegations of “vote chori”.After the meeting, Rahul Gandhi held a media briefing and stated, “In that memorandum, we clearly stated that the Prime Minister, HM Amit Shah, and CEC Gyanesh Kumar had conspired to destroy Indian democracy. The President in no way denied what we said, questioned what we said, or argued what we said.”Rahul added that Murmu had asked the delegation to provide evidence of alleged electoral wrongdoing. “I said that the evidence of ‘election chori’ is known to the entire country. State after state has been stolen. The 2024 election was stolen”, he said, adding that the opposition would submit the evidence it had collected, questioning why the President had sought proof when, according to him, the allegations were already widely known.Rahul further alleged, “The entire country knows that votes are being stolen. Narendra Modi is the architect of this; Amit Shah and Gyanesh Kumar are its implementers.”Mamata All India Trinamool Congress (MAITC) chief, Banerjee said the President had responded positively to the delegation’s concerns. “We have seen from a positive outlook that she said she will investigate; she will go through the details, and she needs evidence. She has asked us to send, which we said we will,” the former West Bengal chief minister said.
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Congress president Kharge said the delegation had demanded that electronic voting machines (EVMs) be set aside and elections conducted using ballot papers. He said the Opposition was compiling evidence of alleged vote theft and would submit it to the President.“She listened attentively and stated that she would investigate the matter thoroughly, consult the concerned parties, and determine the appropriate course of action,” Kharge said.The delegation also included Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, NCP(SP) leader Supriya Sule, RJD MP Manoj Jha and other INDIA bloc leaders.
