Haryana CM Saini Accuses Rahul Gandhi of Spreading Misinformation, Undermining Democratic Institutions
Chandigarh, India – In a blistering attack on the Indian National Congress, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar accused Rahul Gandhi, a prominent Congress leader, of disseminating misinformation to discredit the Election Commission of India and destabilize the country’s democratic institutions. Khattar asserted that the opposition party was resorting to falsehoods and unsubstantiated allegations in a deliberate attempt to erode public trust in India’s democratic processes. He characterized Gandhi’s repeated public appearances as unprepared and filled with statements that undermine the very foundations of democracy. The Chief Minister further claimed that making unfounded accusations and subsequently retracting them has become a recurring pattern for Gandhi.
Khattar underscored specific instances to bolster his accusations, citing the alleged bogus voting case involving Sukhbir Kataria in the 2009 Haryana Assembly elections, accusations of fake voting and booth capturing in Nuh, Ferozepur Jhirka, and Punhana during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, and a petition filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court before the 2014 Haryana Assembly elections concerning voter registrations in Kaithal. He argued that these instances demonstrated a pattern of behavior by the Congress party aimed at manipulating the electoral process.
The Chief Minister, addressing the media in Chandigarh, alleged that Gandhi’s baseless accusations were a veiled attempt to protect infiltrators and individuals he labeled as “urban Naxals.” Khattar claimed to possess evidence contradicting Gandhi’s statements, specifically highlighting Gandhi’s purported linking of a voter list controversy during the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections to the current Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, despite Kumar’s appointment in 2025. Khattar categorized the allegations as factually inaccurate and politically motivated, questioning Gandhi’s motives for blaming the current CEC for an incident that predates his tenure. He further pointed out that the Congress party won the Aland Assembly constituency in Karnataka, the very constituency Gandhi referred to in his allegations, thus contradicting the narrative of voter manipulation.
Khattar accused Gandhi of distorting facts to mislead the public, emphasizing that an FIR (First Information Report) had already been registered in the matter and that the Election Commission had provided mobile numbers and IP addresses related to the case. He noted that the investigation was ongoing and being conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) under the Congress-led government in Karnataka, raising a rhetorical question about Gandhi’s apparent lack of trust in his own party’s government and its investigative processes.
The Chief Minister also highlighted a recent statement by Gandhi asserting that saving democracy was not his responsibility, but rather the duty of the Congress and the INDIA alliance to oppose the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Khattar interpreted this statement as revealing Gandhi’s true intentions, suggesting that his focus was on political opposition rather than upholding democratic principles. He pointed out that the Election Commission of India had promptly dismissed all of Gandhi’s claims in a press conference, labeling them as false and baseless.
Furthermore, Khattar criticized Gandhi’s naming of individuals whose names were allegedly removed from the voter list, describing these statements as dangerous, inflammatory, and intended to divide society along religious lines. He asserted that the country was witnessing the Congress party’s efforts to create societal rifts based on caste and religion. The Chief Minister also countered the Congress party’s reliance on a report by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) alleging voter theft, stating that the CSDS had withdrawn the report in August 2023. He emphasized the transparency of the voter list removal process, outlining the procedures involving Form 7 and the involvement of booth-level officers and electoral registration officers.
Finally, Khattar referenced the Malur Assembly constituency case, where the Karnataka High Court cancelled the election of Congress MLA K.Y. Nanjegowda and ordered a recount of votes cast in the 2023 assembly elections. He presented this as evidence of the Congress party’s manipulation of vote counts, further solidifying his accusations of electoral malfeasance.