Leader of Opposition within the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday mentioned in Parliament that the regulation that grants immunity to election commissioners towards authorized motion for choices taken whereas in energy will likely be modified retrospectively when a Congress authorities comes into energy.
“…They is likely to be below the impression that this regulation lets them get away with it,” the Congress chief mentioned whereas talking on electoral reforms within the Lok Sabha. “Let me guarantee them…We are going to vary the regulation and we’re going to change it retroactively and we’re going to come and discover you.”
His remarks come amid the Congress repeatedly accusing the Election Commission of large-scale vote rigging, together with within the Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly polls held in 2024, alleging what they known as “industrial-scale rigging involving the seize of nationwide establishments.”
The Election Commission has rejected the allegations.
In the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Gandhi mentioned that vote rigging is “an anti-national act”, reiterating his allegation that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party authorities and the Election Commission have been “colluding to destroy” democracy.
“When you destroy the vote, you destroy the material of this nation,” the Congress chief mentioned.
कैसे होगा चुनाव सुधार? वैसे ही जो हम बार बार कह रहे हैं
1. चुनाव से कम से कम एक महीने पहले मशीन-रीडेबल वोटर लिस्ट सार्वजनिक हो
2. CCTV फुटेज मिटाने वाला काला कानून तुरंत वापस लिया जाए
3. विपक्ष को EVM तक पहुंच मिले और उसका आर्किटेक्चर सार्वजनिक किया जाए
4. चुनाव आयुक्तों को… pic.twitter.com/rTpEJf6gJZ— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 9, 2025
He additionally accused the Election Commission of not responding to any concern raised by the Opposition, alleging that the ballot panel had been “captured” by the ruling regime, The Indian Express reported.
During his speech, the Congress chief requested why the chief justice was faraway from the choice panel in control of deciding on the chief election commissioner and different election commissioners.
He was referring to a 2023 regulation that changed the chief justice with a Union Cabinet minister on the three-member choice panel that recommends appointments to the president. The prime minister and the chief of the Opposition are the opposite two members.
The Congress chief mentioned that he’s a part of the choice panel because the chief of the Opposition, however added that he has “no voice within the room”.
“Why are [Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah] so eager on selecting precisely who the EC [election commissioners] will likely be?” he requested.
Gandhi additionally mentioned that one other regulation was modified in 2023 to make sure that no election commissioner may very well be punished for any motion taken whereas in that place, including that no authorities had taken such a step previously.
Clause 16 of the 2023 Chief Election Commissioner and different Election Commissioners Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office Act grants immunity to the chief election commissioners and the election commissioners from any authorized motion for choices taken whereas in workplace.
The Congress chief additional requested why guidelines have been modified to permit the Election Commission to destroy closed-circuit digital camera footage after 45 days of ballot outcomes.
In May, the Election Commission had decreased the retention interval of video footage and pictures of the polling course of to 45 days, citing “latest misuse” of such materials.
In his speech, Gandhi mentioned that electoral reforms have been “quite simple” however the Union authorities didn’t need them.
“Give machine-readable voters lists to all political events one month earlier than the election,” the Congress chief mentioned whereas elaborating on these reforms. “That is step one.”
He added that the second step was to take again the regulation that allowed the destruction of the CCTV footage of the polling course of.
“Also inform us [Opposition] what’s the structure of the Electronic Voting Machines,” Gandhi added. “Give us entry to the EVMs. Let our consultants go and see what’s contained in the EVMs. Till right this moment we have now not had entry to the EVMs.”
He added: “Finally, please change the regulation that enables the election commissioner to get away with no matter he needs to do.”
The Congress chief additionally mentioned that the Indian nation was a material with numerous particular person threads, including that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was attempting to destroy it by “capturing each establishment”, The Indian Express reported.
The RSS is the dad or mum organisation of the BJP.
Gandhi claimed that universities and central businesses, together with the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate, have additionally been captured. “Bureaucrats who help the ideology of the RSS are positioned in them,” he added.
