Rahul Gandhi Urged to Respond to Vote‑Fraud Accusation

During a media interaction in New Delhi, BJP MP Pradeep Bhandari demanded an immediate response from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi concerning the claim that Sonia Gandhi voted in the 1980 general election without being an Indian citizen. Bhandari reminded the assembly that the Constitution’s Article 326 and the Representation of the People Act, 1950, require a voter to be a citizen aged eighteen or older.

He referenced a petition filed in a Delhi court that alleged the use of falsified documents to list Sonia Gandhi on the electoral roll. The Delhi Sessions Court, he explained, had asked a magistrate’s court to investigate the matter for any cognizable offence under Section 337 of the IPC, which prescribes up to seven years’ imprisonment for creating false documents.

Bhandari warned that the opposition should not deflect the issue by focusing on other matters while ignoring allegations that strike at the heart of India’s democratic framework. He also recalled a 1991 incident where a photograph was released showing Sonia Gandhi’s purported vote, arguing that the controversy is not isolated.

The BJP leader set a 24‑hour deadline for Rahul Gandhi to provide a substantive answer, emphasizing that any party that champions electoral transparency must first address accusations aimed at its own senior members.

The legal process continues, and the courts have yet to deliver a definitive ruling on the authenticity of the 1980 voter registration.