Hyderabad: Congress leaders held a candlelight protest at Charminar on Sunday night, alleging massive voter fraud by the BJP with support from the Election Commission. The protest was led by Hyderabad District Congress Committee (DCC) president Waliullah Sameer and supported by leaders from multiple constituencies.
The demonstration formed part of the Congress party’s nationwide ‘Vote Chori Se Azadi’ campaign. It responded to a call from the All India Congress Committee (AICC) to intensify action against alleged electoral manipulation.
Protesters carried banners with slogans like “Vote chor savdhaan, jaag gaya hai Hindustan” and “Vote chor, gaddi chhod.” They also displayed posters of Rahul Gandhi with the slogan “One man one vote.” Nearby, posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked, “Kya BJP vote chor hai?”
Congress protest voter fraud, citing Rahul Gandhi’s claims of electoral manipulation in Karnataka
Waliullah Sameer directly accused the Election Commission of favouring the BJP. He said the Commission had colluded with the ruling party and failed in its constitutional duty. He criticised the demand for an affidavit from Rahul Gandhi, especially when BJP leaders like Anurag Thakur faced no such scrutiny despite making similar claims.
Rahul Gandhi had raised the issue during a press conference on August 7. He released data from Bengaluru’s Mahadevapura Assembly segment, alleging large-scale tampering in voter rolls. He claimed the BJP, with EC support, had stolen votes in Congress-ruled Karnataka.
The Election Commission rejected the allegations and asked Gandhi to file a formal complaint. However, he refused, stating that his constitutional oath was already sufficient.
