- 2 days ago
This special report focuses on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's explosive allegations of electoral fraud in Haryana, which he termed a 'hydrogen bomb'. He alleges, '25 lakh vote chori in Haryana... that means 1 in 8 voters in Haryana are fake.' The programme examines his specific charges, including the use of a Brazilian model's photo on 22 voter cards, and the sharp rebuttal from the Election Commission, which stated that the Congress party had not filed any significant appeals or objections regarding the electoral rolls. The BJP, represented by figures like Kiren Rijiju and Shehzad Poonawalla, dismissed the claims as baseless. Adding another layer, an India Today ground report tracks down the voters at the centre of the controversy, who claim the issue was a photo misprint and that they cast their votes using other identification, raising questions about procedural errors versus a larger conspiracy.
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NewsTranscript
00:01Welcome, you're watching To The Point. I'm Preeti Chaudhary.
00:04We come to you on the eve right before the first phase of polling kicks in Bihar.
00:10We thought we would be discussing something to do with Bihar.
00:15But it has to do with Rahul Gandhi who, what the Congress claims, has dropped the H-bomb,
00:22the Haryana bomb, where he's made grave allegations when it comes down to Vodchori.
00:26The big question, will it have any impact on Bihar?
00:30In Haryana, five categories.
00:40A day before the Bihar polls, Rahul Gandhi has dropped what he calls a hydrogen bomb,
00:46a sweeping set of allegations that he says exposes electoral sabotage in Haryana.
00:53Addressing media in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi alleged there were 25 lakh fake voters in Haryana elections,
00:59which he claims led to his party's defeat.
01:0425 lakh vote-chori in Haryana.
01:08Two crore total voters.
01:12Vote-chori of 25 lakhs, possibly more, but confirmed bias of 25 lakhs.
01:18That means one in eight voters in Haryana are fake.
01:25He levelled a series of explosive charges.
01:28Charge one, photo of a Brazilian model is on 22 voter cards.
01:34Charge two, one woman's photo was used 22 times in 10 booths.
01:39Charge three, a conspiracy was hatched to turn Congress's landslide into a defeat in Haryana.
01:48Charge four, Haryana Chief Minister hinted at vote-fixing.
01:54Charge five, election commission is in partnership with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
02:01Rahul Gandhi called it the biggest theft of democracy, alleging the party was cheated out of fair result.
02:10This is a fundamental attack on the democratic soul of India.
02:14The attack on Mahatma Gandhi, on Ambedkar Ji, on Jawaharlal Nehru, on Sardar Patel, on Subhash Chandra Bose by the RSS.
02:23That's what this is.
02:24The election commission swiftly rejected all the allegations levelled by the Congress MP.
02:31Election commission sources said the Congress party has filed no appeals or objections regarding electoral rolls.
02:38The poll body further questioned how Rahul knows the fake voters voted for BJP.
02:44The BJP has hit back, saying the allegations are baseless and desperate.
02:49Union Minister Kiran Rejeeju said Rahul Gandhi's hydrogen bomb has failed to make an impact and the results reflect people's mandate.
02:58With the leader of opposition claiming that a conspiracy is being hatched in Bihar, the spotlight is once again on the election commission.
03:27Bureau report, India Today.
03:30Excel sheets of fake photographs.
03:38Alright, the latest news break that we are getting in.
03:41India Today reporters went down to Ground Zero Haryana to get in touch with and find some of the names and characters mentioned by Rahul Gandhi in his vote theft charge.
03:52India Today has tracked down voters with the picture of the alleged Brazilian model that Rahul Gandhi had said saw the picture of a Brazilian model on 22 names where the voter list was concerned spread across 10 booths.
04:11India Today has tracked down voters with the picture of the picture.
04:13Voters to India Today say that there was a photo misprint in the ID.
04:19Haryana voters returned voter ID over the misprint.
04:22They claim no conspiracy.
04:24I want to cut across to my colleague Shreya Achata Ji who spoke to two of the names and of voters that were put forth by Rahul Gandhi.
04:35One of them was Pinky, the other one was Manish.
04:38Shreya spoke to them but right before that let's listen in to what they said.
04:42APRA, the other one was Pinky, the other one was Pinky, the other one was Pinky, the other one was Kashyashk.
05:02and the BLS should also be given to them,
05:05which is the responsibility of the electoral role,
05:08then they will verify the whole thing.
05:11But why is it not happening?
05:14We will talk about Pinky Jee.
05:17One thing, Pinky Jee,
05:18you added a vote in 2024.
05:21Yes.
05:22You know this thing?
05:24What did you do today?
05:27Do you know something?
05:30No.
05:32Do you know your name or your photo is wrong?
05:39Do you have the voter card?
05:42Do you have the voter card?
05:45No.
05:46No.
05:47The photo change was wrong.
05:49He said that
05:51one Brazilian model,
05:53one Brazilian model,
05:54has been used to vote for 22 years,
05:57in the Rai Vedansabha Constitution.
05:59The one who is here,
06:01is located here.
06:03The name of Monesh,
06:04and we are now reached to Monesh.
06:06This is a place.
06:07It's a place,
06:08from the end of being here.
06:09It's a place.
06:11This is a place in Monesh.
06:12The town was registered for this village.
06:17There was a whole name.
06:19The name of Monesh always lives here,
06:21but its brother-in-law is associated with us.
06:23foreign
06:30foreign
06:35foreign
06:40foreign
06:45My mother is a big voter card.
06:49Then they asked me a copy of the voter card.
06:52I sent them through the SMS.
07:15On the voter list being different.
07:17So that in any case is an issue.
07:19That she was allowed to vote on the basis of an Aadhaar.
07:22Despite her picture being different.
07:24What did you find on the other account?
07:29Well, Preeti, you know, first I'll speak about the Pinky case study.
07:33What happened was that she's not even received a voter card.
07:36What she's saying that in the first place when she got the voter card.
07:39That there was a misprint already with another woman in the village.
07:43She had sent the voter card back.
07:45She never received it.
07:46But her name appeared in the voter list.
07:49And that's the reason she took her Aadhaar card and went and casted a vote.
07:52She, however, is saying that it was me who casted the vote in 2024.
07:56She's saying I don't know what else transpired.
07:59The question should be put before the BLO and the election office.
08:02When we talk about Munesh, even Munesh's brother-in-law is suggesting that she only casted the vote.
08:09He had got them to cast their vote in 2024.
08:11And even in the case of Munesh, once before, the misprint case has happened.
08:16But the misprint was that of with another woman in the village.
08:19So clearly both of them are raising a question on the election office,
08:22on the part of the data entry operators, whether there was an error on their part.
08:26But they say that they have casted their vote.
08:28We also very categorically asked Munesh's brother-in-law that whether he sold the vote or anything like that,
08:34any conspiracy took place, they have denied that.
08:37All right. So that accounts for a larger investigation.
08:43Was it just a procedural error that we see multiple times on voter lists and that was identified here?
08:49Or does it account for a larger investigation?
08:53I want to quickly cut across to our panelists who've been waiting for a while.
08:57Thank you there. We have short time, so I'm going to leave it up to you.
09:00I have with me Anshul Abhijit from the Congress, Sehzad Poonawala from the BJP.
09:03Let's begin with you, Anshul Abhijit.
09:05A plausible question that today is being asked of the Congress.
09:08A, have you conceded defeat in Bihar that you are practically suggesting that what happened in Haryana will happen in Bihar?
09:15Secondly, what were your BLAs doing when this happened?
09:19Number two, you had a 64-day period to file appeals.
09:23You did file some appeals, but not to the proportion on what was highlighted this time.
09:28No, Preeti, let me come to the last question first.
09:32I mean, this question of appeals and going to courts and affidavits is a complete red herring, right?
09:39It's on the onus of the Election Commission, and they're clearly abdicating their responsibility to find out who's on their electoral rolls.
09:47It's not on the public to do it.
09:49The SIRs previously never had this, that the public has to find out who was getting deleted,
09:55what is the mechanism, what is the mechanism of appeals.
09:58Did the orders come in for appeals?
10:01The Election Commission has not even been transparent.
10:04In a state where 90% of the people are rural, do they have access to technology?
10:09Do they have access to the availability of BLOs?
10:12How do you expect them to file appeals?
10:14What are the process of that appeal?
10:15This is clearly a nonsensical argument.
10:18The other argument that, you know, there are larger questions at stake here than winning the Bihar election,
10:25which we are set out to win, but the foundations of our democracy have been completely rocked.
10:30You know, Preeti, if this press conference didn't convince anyone that there was a large electoral fraud going on in this country,
10:39then I don't know what will.
10:40But even if it created a large amount of doubt in people's mind that the credibility of the Election Commission is in doubt,
10:47then an independent inquiry must happen.
10:52Why did the BJP suddenly run in support of the Election Commission with a presser immediately afterwards?
10:59You know, there is a validation in the fact that they are thick as thieves, which seems to be the appropriate phase that you use at the moment.
11:06There are fundamental questions about our democracy that need to be...
11:10Okay, I'll circle back to you.
11:12Okay. Fundamental questions, but how demoralizing is this for your cadre in Bihar?
11:17How demoralizing is this for your voters in Bihar?
11:20Because at least in terms of optics and perception, Anshu Lavijit, it seems you've thrown this election suggesting that this is also rigged.
11:27But I'll come back to that question.
11:29I want to bring in Shahzad Poonawalla.
11:31Shahzad Poonawalla, there is a point that has been raised by the Congress today and also many others.
11:37You can question the competence of the Congress.
11:39You can question that the Congress has fought a bad election.
11:42But to come and speak on the behalf of the EC and defend the EC constantly raises larger questions, Shahzad.
11:51Actually, we did not speak on behalf of the EC at all, Preeti.
11:54If you saw our press conference, and I think Piyush from your channel was covering Kiran Rajuju's press conference.
12:00Kiranji said very clearly that we are not here to answer for the EC.
12:03But because you have shown a video clip of our Chief Minister, and because you have made allegations directly at BJP, surely the BJP is not denied from reverting when you quote our Chief Minister, right?
12:14At least we have the right to answer when they quote us, point number one.
12:17Point number two, the CEO Haryana at 1.33pm has put out a detailed response to the Congress's allegations.
12:23And I think that should also be seen.
12:25But having said that, my dear friend Avjit has said that, look, let there be an independent inquiry.
12:29Preeti, let's test that first and then come to the other allegations Rahul Gandhi made in the press conference.
12:34Preeti, you remember the Supreme Court came out and said nothing is wrong in Maharashtra when a lot of petitions were filed.
12:39Did they accept that verdict?
12:40The Supreme Court said nothing is wrong with EVMs.
12:42Do they accept that verdict?
12:43The Supreme Court and the High Court have said that nothing came out of this, sorry, the High Court in Tamil Nadu has said nothing came out of this Mahadev Pura allegations.
12:51In Aland, they said that the votes were deleted by evening.
12:53They said that the votes had been attempted to be deleted.
12:55So let's forget the allegations Rahul Gandhi made.
12:57Let's talk about today's allegations.
12:59And let me give you four specific instances.
13:01And all from Rahul Gandhi's press conference.
13:03He quoted a lady called Anjali Tyagi.
13:06Anjali Tyagi, just about one hour ago, has spoken to various channels.
13:09She'll speak to your channel also if you go to her.
13:11And she has said that, Mera vote chori nahi wai.
13:14This is Rahul Gandhi has shown her video that uska vote chori wai.
13:17She has said, Mera vote chori nahi wai.
13:18Mena vote diya hai.
13:19And Rahul Gandhi is misusing my video.
13:20Point number one.
13:21Fact number one.
13:22Fact number two in Rahul Gandhi's press conference, he has shown some so-called Brazilian model.
13:25And we know Rahul Gandhi likes all things South American.
13:28And he has said that this lady is Matheus Ferrero.
13:30Putting out the screen grab of his press conference.
13:33Now when you go to the same source of his press conference.
13:36And Mohamed Zubair, one of the Luteans fact checkers has also put this out.
13:39When you go and see this, this person is not a lady.
13:43This Matheus Ferrero is actually a photographer who curates AI images and other images and stock photos.
13:50And it is his creation.
13:52And Rahul Gandhi has said that this is a Brazilian model.
13:54And even Congress Kerala has said this is a Brazilian model called Matheus Ferrero.
13:58No fact check.
13:59Let's go to the point number three.
14:00He has said that one woman has voted 223 times.
14:03Avji, just 20 seconds more.
14:04Now if you say 223 times vote karna in 11 hours period from 7 a.m. to about 6 p.m.
14:10You have to vote 20 times in one hour, which means three times in three minutes, one vote.
14:14You can't do that on the same booth, forget then different booths.
14:17How is this adding up?
14:18No answer.
14:19Let's go, fourth point.
14:20Let me ask Mr. Avjit, that you have about 20,000 plus booths in Haryana.
14:25And Preeti, you know Haryana by the back of your hand.
14:27You are from there only.
14:28In Haryana, 20,000 BLA toh hai anke?
14:31BLA nai ek complainai dahli.
14:33You said some appeals.
14:35Preeti, they had 60 days.
14:36Not one single appeal.
14:38Agar Brazilian model ka photo tha.
14:40Agar Italian model ka photo tha.
14:42Kisi ka bhi photo tha.
14:44Mr. Avjit, BLA is not some random person.
14:47He is your party.
14:50Actually, there have been certain appeals that have been filed.
14:52Some of them are with the EC.
14:54I think there are about six appeals pending.
14:56But I'll come.
14:57No, no, no.
14:58I'm telling you there are six appeals pending.
14:59I'll come back to you.
15:00Allow me to bring in Anshul Avijit.
15:02One second, Preeti.
15:03Let me just fact check you.
15:04Sorry, sorry.
15:05I'm very sorry to say this to you.
15:06Quickly make your point.
15:07I have four minutes.
15:08I'm very sorry to say this.
15:09I have the data sheet of the election commission also.
15:12No appeals were filed at the time when the draft role and the final role was given.
15:15Zero.
15:16No.
15:17No.
15:18I'm not.
15:19I'm talking about the 64.
15:2064 day period, Shahzad.
15:21Let's not derail the debate.
15:22I'm talking about the 64 day period.
15:23Yeah, yeah.
15:24I'm talking about the 64 day period.
15:25Not the single complaint.
15:26Anshul Avijit had filed an appeal.
15:27And parties had filed.
15:28Okay, okay.
15:29This is all right.
15:30Let me just bring in Anshul Avijit back into this conversation.
15:33I have the last four minutes here.
15:34Anshul Avijit, I'll give you two minutes.
15:36Why shouldn't it demoralize your cadre and your voters in Bihar?
15:41You know, Shahzad's comments, you know, these kinds of personal comments are totally off
15:46the mark here.
15:47That is not relevant and they only come about when you are complicit in a deep electoral
15:52fraud that are affecting the very foundations of our democracy.
15:56What other proof do you need?
15:59Does it not raise any amount of suspicion coming to the substantive point about the nature
16:05of the electoral fraud that is going on here?
16:07That challenges every single election that the BJP has conducted in the past couple of
16:12years, beginning from Maharashtra and before that, Haryana.
16:15We were always going to go back to Haryana because we thought there was a fraud here.
16:19We proved it.
16:20It takes time to prove it because you're always looking for proof.
16:22What else do you need to convince everyone here?
16:25And the election commission.
16:27The BJP is complicit in this.
16:29So they will never ask it.
16:30And as for Bihar, you know, let me tell you something.
16:33We have taken our case to the people of Bihar that there is a composite onslaught, not
16:39just an economic onslaught on suffering, on unemployment, on poverty, on taking away
16:46of jobs, of lack of industrialization.
16:48But now what is most basic, which is your right to vote, is also being taken away from you.
16:54This is going to strengthen our resolve.
16:56It's not going to weaken it.
16:57It's going to be a hard cut.
16:58It's going to be a hard cut.
16:59We've timed you for a minute.
17:00I don't have much time.
17:01I'm going to give that next one minute to Shahzad.
17:03Shahzad, the sheer fact that the principal opposition has repeatedly made what, on the
17:07face of it, are grave allegations.
17:09Should there not be an independent inquiry?
17:12Do we really want a situation where one lose complete, where the opposition is concerned?
17:17Trust in the democratic process.
17:19It's happened in our neighborhood, in Bangladesh, where elections have been boycotted.
17:23Why do we want to reach there?
17:24Preeti, forget me.
17:25First, let them convince Kumari Shailja.
17:27You know her well.
17:28She said that we have not lost because of any kind of dhandli.
17:31We have lost because of Hudda.
17:33Just two days ago, Professor Sampat Singh has resigned.
17:35What has he written in his letter?
17:36Preeti, you know all these facts.
17:37Then the state president of Haryana Congress, what has he said?
17:39We are coming from our own wrong reasons.
17:42You can convince yourself.
17:44In the independent inquiry, the Supreme Court has said they believe.
17:47And the final point, Preeti Ji.
17:48Just one last point I want to ask you.
17:50Let's go.
17:51The President of the Election Commission did not file their own appeal.
17:53After the election, after the election, how many petitions of election have they filed?
17:57To the high courts.
17:58Out of 90 seats, about 22.
18:01Oh boy, this is so big on the scale.
18:03On 90 seats, just 22 election petitions came from the whole country.
18:07So this means that, Avjit, you have to trust.
18:10And those who are the voters of themselves.
18:12What have they done in Telangana?
18:13Who's Naveen Yadav?
18:14Who's Nanjay Gaurav got convicted in Karnataka High Court?
18:17Who are the people?
18:18The voters are saying that today election show is happening.
18:21So therefore, Preeti, we all know that this is post-election bhaana.
18:25Today is pre-election bhaana.
18:26In Bihar, they are made pre-election bhaana.
18:28So they need an alibi.
18:34Okay.
18:35All right.
18:36Thank you for that.
18:37Thank you for both of you for joining us.
18:38We are going to track this very closely.
18:40Allegations by the Congress.
18:41We are going to try and get our reporters on ground to independently verify the charges
18:46that have been made by the Congress party.
18:49But let's put the focus back in Bihar.
18:51Tomorrow, 121 constituencies in Bihar.
18:54Vote in the first phase.
18:55Trust us, we're going to get you the latest.
18:57See you tomorrow, 8 a.m.
18:58We'll see you tomorrow, 8 a.m.
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