In an exclusive interview with Sreenivasan Jain, Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi talks about Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of ‘vote chori’, Bihar’s SIR of voter rolls, the opposition’s demand to impeach the Chief Election Commissioner, and the electoral performance of the grand old party. 

When asked for evidence about the Congress’s allegations of voter manipulations helping the BJP, Singhvi says, “Who will the government agency want to help? Rahul Gandhi?... It's a legitimate, valid inference based on research of six months…The ruling party definitely can control a body like the EC much more so than the opposition… As James Bond said, the first time it is happenstance, second time it is coincidence. With lakhs of voters, it is malefices. You [the ECI] are the independent constitutional authority. The first and foremost reaction in a proper democratic functioning by an institution not influenced by the government would be to say, give me two weeks I will revert to you.”

He adds, ”In any democracy, an allegation can only be made where there is something which is in the exclusive possession and control of the EC. They alone can demolish this accusation by producing material. 

On proof of Gandhi’s claim of voter manipulation in Maharashtra, Singhvi says, ”Rahul Gandhi is not in a court of law. He is not giving evidence. You are arguing as if you are sitting in a kath-gara and giving evidence to a judge…In any country, including India, which leader can give more direct factual statistical answers, whether it be Mahadevpura, or Maharashtra, or Bihar, than Rahul Gandhi?“

While talking about the Bihar SIR, Singhvi says, “This is nothing but a prohibited exercise of determining citizenship in a summary fashion without recourse to legal remedy and excluding en masse crores.”

Asked about the opposition’s demand to impeach the CEC, Singhvi says, “Well, I believe that very strong action should be taken to send a message that they are not a law unto themselves. Whether it is impeachment, or whether there is non-cooperation…impeachment is one option.”

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