PMO, Not President, Denied Election Irregularity Claims: Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi claims the PMO, not the President, responded to allegations of election irregularities during a press conference in New Delhi.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has leveled a serious accusation against the Central government, claiming that the denial regarding alleged election irregularities came from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) rather than the President of India.
The President Demanded Proof
During a high-stakes press conference held in New Delhi, Gandhi detailed the opposition's recent efforts to address concerns regarding the integrity of the electoral process. He revealed that when opposition leaders met with the President of India to formally raise these allegations, the response was not a blanket denial.
Instead, Gandhi stated that the President requested the opposition to provide concrete evidence to support their claims. "The President of India herself said, 'Give me the proof.' We are going to take the proof," Gandhi told reporters.
A Silent Rashtrapati Bhavan
A central point of Gandhi's critique was the observed silence from the President's office. He noted a significant distinction between the official response of the head of state and that of the executive branch. According to Gandhi, the President and her office chose not to issue any formal denial regarding the irregularities mentioned by the opposition.
The PMO's Quiet Response
Gandhi asserted that the responsibility for refuting the opposition's claims shifted from the constitutional office to the Prime Minister's Office. He suggested that the denial was handled discreetly by the PMO, bypassing the traditional protocol of Rashtrapati Bhavan.
"I hope you noticed something. There was no denial from the President of India's office. I hope you noticed it. The denial was quietly made by the Prime Minister's Office," Gandhi remarked, emphasizing his belief that the President's refusal to deny the allegations speaks volumes about the current political situation.