130 Million Voters Cannot Be Cut: Shashi Tharoor Demands Clean Election Register
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor demands a clean election register, alleging 130 million voters were wrongly removed from rolls.
In a scathing critique of the Election Commission, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has raised an alarm over the alleged mass deletion of names from the electoral rolls, asserting that the shashi tharoor electoral rolls controversy represents a direct threat to the constitutional rights of Indian citizens.
Speaking at the INDIA bloc's massive rally at Ramlila Maidan, Tharoor called for an "absolutely clean election register," arguing that the scale of removals is unacceptable. He emphasized that the right to vote is a fundamental pillar of democracy that must be protected at all costs.
'Better to Have Dead People Than Lose Real Voters'
Tharoor did not mince words when describing the current state of the voter lists. He argued that the Election Commission's approach to cleaning the rolls has been overly aggressive and flawed.
"What we need is an absolutely clean election register. It is better to have one or two dead people there than cut out 130 million real people," Tharoor stated.
The Congress leader alleged that the actions of the Election Commission have negatively impacted a significant portion of the electorate. Referencing points made by Rahul Gandhi, Tharoor claimed that approximately 15% of the Indian adult population has been removed from the lists, a move he described as "simply wrong."
A History of Fair Elections Under Threat
Highlighting India's democratic legacy, Tharoor noted that the country had successfully conducted free and fair elections for 80 years without facing such systemic issues of mass deletion. He stressed that the INDIA bloc has united specifically to send a clear message to constitutional authorities that the rights of the people cannot be compromised.
Calls for the Removal of Chief Election Commissioner
The rally saw further escalation as Congress MP Amar Singh joined the fray, claiming that the electoral process in India has lost both its integrity and fairness. Singh alleged that votes are being stolen and that the current system is compromised.
Singh launched a direct attack on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of being "in cahoots" with the ruling party. He declared that the opposition would continue its agitation until Kumar is removed from his position to restore trust in the democratic process.
The 'Chalo Delhi' Mobilization
The remarks were part of the INDIA bloc's 'Chalo Delhi' rally at Ramlila Maidan. The event saw a massive gathering of opposition leaders and supporters, with MPs assembling at the Constitution Club before marching toward the venue.
The rally featured a powerhouse of opposition figures, including:
- Rahul Gandhi
- Mallikarjun Kharge
- Mamata Banerjee
- Abhishek Banerjee
- Hemant Soren
- Revanth Reddy
- Tejashwi Yadav
- Akhilesh Yadav
The collective goal of the gathering was to voice grievances over the electoral process and demand immediate corrective measures to ensure every eligible citizen can exercise their right to vote.