BJP hits back at Rahul Gandhi over ‘vote chori’ remarks, says he should focus on serious issues
Rahul Gandhi's "H-files" press conference on alleged vote rigging in Haryana triggered sharp criticism from the BJP, with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju calling it a "waste of time" and urging the Congress leader to discuss "serious issues." Rijiju accused Gandhi of spreading "fake narratives" and alleged links with "anti-India forces," while BJP's Radhika Khera took a swipe at Sonia Gandhi over his "Brazilian model" remarks.
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s press conference on alleged "vote chori” in Haryana drew sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Union Minister Kiren Rijiju advised the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha to focus on "serious issues” instead of spreading "fake narratives.”
Rijiju referred to Minta Devi, a woman whose image Gandhi had previously used in a press conference, saying she had "scolded” the Congress for doing so.
"It clearly shows there is nothing left for him in Bihar, so to divert attention, he is now bringing up the issue of Haryana. He has also made a presentation about irrelevant matters. I don’t want to go into that because it was all fake. He even mentioned the name of a foreign woman,” Rijiju said during a press briefing.
'Should talk about serious issues'
He added, "During elections, he goes abroad; during Parliament sessions, he secretly visits places like Cambodia and Thailand. Now, during the Bihar elections, he went to Colombia. So, when he goes abroad, he brings back certain ideas from there, gives them to his team, and they prepare these baseless narratives, wasting everyone’s time. Politicians should talk about serious issues, not indulge in such futile matters. This is my first suggestion to him.”
The minister also alleged that Rahul Gandhi "is in collusion with anti-India forces” and that the "games he is playing will never succeed.” Meanwhile, BJP leader Radhika Khera responded to Gandhi’s remarks about the "Brazilian model” with a jab referencing Sonia Gandhi.
"A vote was also cast in Hindustan by an 'Italian' woman. Do you know her name??” she wrote in Hindi on X, apparently referring to Rahul Gandhi’s mother.
Rahul Gandhi's allegation
Alleging large-scale electoral malpractice in the 2024 Haryana assembly election, which the BJP won, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on November 5 unveiled what he called "The H Files.” He claimed the Election Commission was acting "at the behest of the ruling BJP to steal votes,” citing "duplicate, fake and bulk” entries in the voters’ list.
"I want Gen-Z to take this seriously, because your future is being taken away from you,” Gandhi said at a press conference held at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi, just a day before Bihar goes to the polls.
The Congress leader alleged that around 25 lakh "fake” voters were registered in Haryana, including one case where a Brazilian model’s photograph was allegedly used to register a voter across multiple polling booths. According to him, Haryana has nearly 2 crore voters, and the BJP’s margin of victory in eight key constituencies was approximately 22,000 votes.
"This (data) means one in eight voters in Haryana are fake, that is 12.5%,” he said. "This tells you that when the margin was just 22,000, 25 lakh was just this!”
BJP’s narrow edge
Haryana’s 90-seat assembly saw the BJP secure 48 seats, forming the government for a third consecutive term. The Congress, despite favorable exit polls, won 37 seats — eight short of the halfway mark of 45. Gandhi also claimed to have evidence showing one photo being used for 223 votes and another instance where an individual allegedly cast 22 votes across 10 polling stations.