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The IAS fraternity expressed solidarity with CEC Gyanesh Kumar after his public spat with Rahul Gandhi and opposition parties over allegations of vote theft in Bihar.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. (PTI)
The IAS fraternity has strongly condemned abuse and personal remarks against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and his family, following a tense confrontation between the Election Commission and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has accused the poll body of stealing votes to benefit the BJP.
“We strongly condemn unwarranted abuse and personal attacks against Hon’ble Chief Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar and his family. We urge everyone to maintain respect and decorum, acknowledging his dedicated service and significant contributions towards the nation,” read a post by IAS Fraternity on X.
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We strongly condemns unwarranted abuse and personal attacks against Hon’ble Chief Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar and his family. We urge everyone to maintain respect and decorum, acknowledging his dedicated service and significant contributions towards the nation. pic.twitter.com/jRf41VMrAd— IAS Fraternity 🇮🇳 (@IASfraternity) August 19, 2025
The confrontation between two Constitutional position holders—the CEC and the LoP – began after Rahul Gandhi alleged “vote theft” and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in the state. The Election Commission has repeatedly denied these “baseless” accusations and called on Gandhi to sign an affidavit or apologise.
ALSO READ: Can India’s Chief Election Commissioner Be Impeached? The Law, Politics And Current Row
In a departure from norms, the Chief Election Commissioner held a press conference to address Gandhi’s ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, where he stressed that the Bihar SIR is aimed at removing all shortcomings in voter lists, while slamming political parties for spreading misinformation.
In a tersely-worded speech, Kumar rejected as “baseless” the allegations of double voting and “vote theft”, saying it was an insult to the Constitution. He also called on Rahul Gandhi to either sign an affidavit or apologise to the country for his claims of vote theft.
Meanwhile, the opposition parties, led by the Congress, said the Election Commission is not acting like an unbiased entity and is in the hands of officers who are taking sides. The parties also accused CEC Gyanesh Kumar of acting like a BJP spokesperson, saying he failed to answer their questions on the SIR exercise.
On Sunday, Rahul Gandhi accused the ECI of “stealing” elections in collusion with the BJP, claiming that attempts were underway to manipulate the Bihar Assembly polls through voter additions and deletions through the SIR exercise.
About the Author
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
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