EC declares war on fraud: Non-citizens to lose voter IDs in SIR

New Delhi: In a fiery press conference today, Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar delivered a scathing rebuke to the Congress party and the opposition, dismissing their allegations of voter fraud as baseless and politically motivated. 

Speaking at the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters, Kumar asserted that the Commission stands firm in its commitment to electoral integrity and declared unequivocally, “The Election Commission does not fear anyone, not political parties, not smear campaigns, and certainly not baseless accusations.”

The press conference comes on the heels of mounting criticism from opposition leaders, notably Rahul Gandhi, who on August 7, 2025, accused the ECI of “criminal fraud” and collusion with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to manipulate voter rolls in the Mahadevapura Assembly seat. 

Gandhi’s dramatic claims of 1,00,250 “fake votes” and his threats against poll officials have sparked a nationwide debate. However, Kumar wasted no time in dismantling these allegations, labeling them as a desperate attempt by the Congress and its allies to undermine the democratic process.

“The Election Commission has launched a thorough investigation into citizenship status as per the 2009 Citizenship Rules, and we will not hesitate to revoke voter IDs from non-citizens. This is our duty, and we will execute it fearlessly,” Kumar said. 

He further challenged the opposition to substantiate their claims with evidence, pointing out that the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer had already asked Gandhi to submit proof under oath, a demand that remains unmet.

Kumar highlighted the ECI’s robust systems, including the E-EPIC digital voter ID platform, which has registered over 300 million voters, as evidence of its transparency and efficiency.

“We welcome scrutiny, but we will not tolerate slander,” he added, taking a direct swipe at the Congress for its “one man, one vote” rhetoric, which he called hypocritical given their silence on past electoral irregularities under their own regimes.

The Commissioner also addressed the opposition’s threats of retribution, dismissing them as hollow. 

“Let me be clear: the Election Commission bows to the Constitution, not to political vendettas. If the opposition comes to power, they will find us as steadfast as ever,” he declared, drawing applause from supporters present at the briefing.