Rahul Gandhi Reiterates on “Hydrogen Bomb” but Evades Question on Modi’s Constituency

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Sept 20: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday sharpened his ongoing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Election Commission of India and alleged that Mr Modi was engaged in “vote theft” to secure victory the in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking to reporters in Wayanad, Kerala, on Saturday the Congress MP reiterating his charge of “vote chori” (vote theft) promised that that his party would soon release what he described as a “hydrogen bomb” of evidence which would leave no one in India in doubt regarding this, adding that it would “completely shatter the reality of the situation.”

Mr Gandhi said the Congress had “open-and-shut proof” of systematic manipulation of the electoral process. “Because we have open-and-shut proof for what we are saying… You have seen my first and second press conferences. We have black-and-white proof – we are not saying anything without proof. We have 100% proof of a number of things that have happened, and these are going to come out soon,” said Mr Gandhi.

When pressed on whether this “hydrogen bomb” would specifically pertain to the Prime Minister’s Varanasi constituency, Mr Gandhi sidestepped the question. “That is for you to guess, that is for you to speculate. I will do my job, I will deliver on my job,” he replied.

Mr Gandhi’s remarks build upon his previous comments in which he alleged fraudulent manipulation of voter rolls. He cited alleged evidence of mass voter deletions and additions in specific constituencies, pointing to examples in Mahadevpura and Aland in Karnataka. “We have shown it in Mahadevpura, we have shown it in Aland. We are going to show it in such a way that there will be no one in India who will doubt Narendra Modi ji has done vote chori and won the election,” he said.

The Congress leader has repeatedly accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of shielding those involved in electoral fraud. On Saturday, he cited an ongoing investigation in Karnataka into attempts to delete over 6,000 names from the electoral rolls in Aland constituency as proof that the Election Commission’s credibility was compromised.

“There is a CID investigation going in Karnataka. CID has specifically asked for information on phone numbers that have been used to do vote chori. Gyanesh Kumar is CEC that the Karnataka CID is asking for. There can be no bigger indictment of the CEC than this. This is not my statement; this is the fact,” Mr Gandhi claimed.

Mr Gandhi claimed that a slogan “vote Chor, Gaddi Chhor” was echoing across the country. “This is the truth that governments are being formed by stealing,” the Congress leader said. “We guarantee that we will give you proof (of it),” he added. Taking a jibe at BJP leaders, Mr Gandhi said they should not get agitated now, as “when a hydrogen bomb comes, everything will be wiped clean.”

The BJP has strongly rejected Mr Gandhi’s claims. Senior leader and MP from Patna Sahib, Ravi Shankar Prasad, has accused the Congress leader of misleading the public and attempting to sow unrest, particularly among younger voters.

Addressing a press conference in Patna, Mr Prasad criticised Gandhi’s recent posts on social media platform X, in which he said, “Desh ke yuva, desh ke students, and desh ke Gen Z will save the Constitution, democracy, and vote theft. I always stand with them. Jai Hind.”

Mr Prasad countered: “What does Rahul Gandhi want to convey by such posts? Is he trying to incite violence and create anarchy in the country? His act is against democracy, the Constitution, and the nation. I strongly condemn this unfortunate and unacceptable statement.”

The BJP leader further argued that Mr Gandhi had made serious accusations against CEC Gyanesh Kumar without verifying the timeline. “Rahul Gandhi has levelled serious allegations against the Election Commission without doing his homework. Gandhi made allegations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who was appointed only a few months ago, for a case dating back to 2023. How can he be responsible?” Mr Prasad asked.