BJP leader and former Union minister Anurag Thakur on Monday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to approach the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of India (ECI) or the President of India with evidence to substantiate his allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Thakur said, “Rahul Gandhi was sleeping all this time, and all of a sudden, he began attacking institutions. Why doesn’t he approach the Supreme Court or the President with proof?”
Thakur, the Lok Sabha MP from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, alleged that opposition parties were making accusations without presenting facts or figures to support their claims.
Speaking exclusively to The Tribune after a press conference, Thakur was asked about the Opposition’s mobilisation of young people to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He said, “They are only trying to capitalise on the youth by manipulating them with lies.”
He added, “Had there been instances of genuine voters being wrongly deleted, Rahul Gandhi could have presented such cases before the Supreme Court. What has prevented him from approaching the court, the Election Commission or the President of India with evidence over the past 18 months?”
Thakur claimed that wherever the SIR had been conducted, voters had retained their right to vote. He added that names had been removed in cases involving migration, death, change of residence or duplicate entries.
He accused the Opposition of attempting to create an atmosphere of anarchy through what he described as unsubstantiated allegations.
“They have no facts or figures to substantiate their allegations. They are merely making accusations. That is why I said they are attempting to create an atmosphere…”