Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has once again put the spotlight on India’s democratic institutions, alleging systemic bias and electoral manipulation during an address in Berlin, Germany. Speaking at an academic interaction, Gandhi accused the BJP-led government of undermining independent institutions and using central agencies to target political rivals.
Referring to what he described as a sustained erosion of democratic checks and balances, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha said institutions meant to safeguard democracy were under pressure.
“There is a wholesale capture of our institutional framework. There is a full-scale assault taking place on the institutional framework of our country,” he said.
Agencies ‘Turned Into Political Tools’
Gandhi alleged that investigative bodies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are being selectively deployed.
“Our intelligence agencies, ED and CBI have been weaponised. The ED and CBI have zero cases against the BJP and most of the political cases are against the people who oppose them,” he added.
During his five-day visit to Germany, Gandhi further claimed that businesspersons perceived to be close to the Congress are pressured and threatened. He underlined that the Congress had helped build India’s institutional framework with the belief that it belonged to the nation, not any political party.
“But this is not how the BJP sees it. They view the institutional framework as something that belongs to them. They use it as a tool to build political power.”
Democracy Under Strain, Says Congress Leader
Warning that Indian democracy is facing unprecedented challenges, Gandhi called for sustained opposition resistance.
“We will create a system of opposition resistance that will succeed. We are not fighting the BJP, but their capture of the Indian institutional structure.”
Fresh Push on Election Rigging Claims
Reviving his controversial allegations of vote theft, Gandhi claimed the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections were manipulated in favour of the BJP.
“We have won elections in Telangana, Himachal Pradesh. We have been raising issues as far as the fairness of elections in India is concerned. I have done press conferences in India where we have clearly shown without a shadow of a doubt that we won the Haryana election and that we don’t feel the Maharashtra elections were fair,” he said.
He alleged that the Congress had flagged serious irregularities, including duplicate voter entries, to the Election Commission but received no response.
“We fundamentally believe that there is a problem with the electoral machinery in India,” he added.
Economic Vision Also Questioned
Gandhi also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s economic approach, alleging that the BJP and RSS had failed to offer a fresh direction and were merely extending earlier policies. He warned that the current model could deepen social divisions.
“We think the vision will fail and it has tremendous problems. It will create massive tensions in India and make Indian people fight with each other. We will fight it. It is a clash between two visions in India.”
BJP Dismisses Allegations
The BJP strongly rejected Gandhi’s remarks. Party spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari questioned Gandhi’s patriotism and accused him of seeking to damage India’s global image by making such statements abroad, alleging links with figures like George Soros.
BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje echoed the criticism, calling Gandhi’s comments irresponsible.
“What does he aim to gain by doing this? He still behaves like a child, not a leader,” she said.
The remarks and the sharp political reactions that followed have once again intensified the debate over the credibility of India’s electoral and institutional processes.
