NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday alleged that Sonia Gandhi’s name was included in the electoral roll in 1980 despite the fact that she was not an Indian citizen at that time.
BJP national spokesperson and co-convenor of the party’s central media unit Pradeep Bhandari alleged at a press conference at the BJP Central Office that Sonia Gandhi, despite not being an Indian citizen, had her name added to the electoral roll through forged documents and cast her vote illegally.
He stated that this was not only a blatant violation of Article 326 of the Indian Constitution and the Representation of the People Act, but also a serious cognisable offence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Bhandari said the Delhi Sessions Court had rejected the earlier order of the Magistrate’s Court and directed a fresh investigation, adding that Rahul Gandhi would have to respond within 24 hours regarding the alleged forgery.
He further said that today’s issue is connected with the democracy of the country and the sanctity of India’s democracy.
“If Article 326 of the Indian Constitution is read, it states that every person who is a citizen of India and is not less than 18 years of age is entitled to vote. This means that being an Indian citizen is mandatory for voting in India. The same provision is mentioned in Section 16 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which states that a person shall be disqualified for registration in an electoral roll if they are not a citizen of India,” he cited the rules.
In a strong attack on Sonia Gandhi, he further claimed that she was not an Indian citizen in 1980. He said that in 1980, a petition was filed in court questioning under what provision Sonia Gandhi had been allowed to vote when she was not an Indian citizen at the time.
He questioned whether Sonia Gandhi had attempted to forge documents, particularly given that the Congress party was in power from 1980 to 1983.
Bhandari stated that when the matter reached the court, the Delhi Sessions Court, just yesterday, directed the Magistrate’s Court to examine whether a cognisable offence had been committed, namely, whether the Congress party and the Gandhi-Vadra family had enabled Sonia Gandhi to vote in 1980 through forged documents.
“Those who speak of vote theft are themselves engaged in stealing democracy, and those who steal votes,” he alleged.
Bhandari further stated that if the Sessions Court’s prima facie observations are examined even today, they state that the Magistrate’s Court, which dismissed the case, did not exercise its discretion and failed to perform its fundamental duty of identifying the disclosure of a cognisable offence.
He also presented two photographs from 1980 and stated that Sonia Gandhi was not an Indian citizen in 1980, and that when a person is not an Indian citizen, they cannot vote.
“However, she cast her vote in 1980. The Congress party was in power from January 1980 to 1983 and beyond. The Congress party must answer whether the Congress and the Gandhi-Vadra family fabricated documents to enable Sonia Gandhi to vote. If someone fabricates documents, it can attract a punishment of up to seven years under Section 337 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and it is a cognisable offence,” he asserted.
Pradeep Bhandari stated that the fundamental basis of the democracy of this country and the Constitution of India is that only an Indian citizen can vote.
“Rahul Gandhi, who goes around carrying a copy of the Constitution which he has never read, should answer how his mother voted in 1980 and who helped her obtain forged documents. At that time, Indira Gandhi’s government was in power, so Rahul Gandhi should answer whether the Indira Gandhi government provided such assistance,” he said.
Bhandari posed three key questions to the Congress party, seeking answers from Congress.
“When the court is accepting that, prima facie, the allegation of document forgery in connection with Sonia Gandhi’s vote in 1980, when she was not an Indian citizen, is valid, did Sonia Gandhi or the Gandhi-Vadra family not steal democracy by seeking someone’s help or by using their own influence?” he asked.
His second question was: “When Sonia Gandhi was not an Indian citizen in the 1980s, what kind of magic did the Congress party perform to enable her to cast her vote, and how did her name come to be included in the electoral roll?”
He also asked: “Those who speak of vote theft, have they not today been exposed before the people of the country as thieves of democracy?”
“If Rahul Gandhi does not answer all these questions, the people of the country and the youth will understand his silence as an admission of guilt, indicating that they have committed theft of democracy,” he asserted.
