Congress scion Rahul Gandhi’s 9 December 2025 speech in the Lok Sabha was remarkable not for its substance, but for its falsehoods. Delivered almost entirely in English, the address seemed designed less for India’s MPs and more for foreign media outlets waiting to publish headlines about a “compromised Indian democracy.”
#WATCH | ‘लोकतंत्र को खत्म करने के लिए चुनाव आयोग का इस्तेमाल’ – नेता प्रतिपक्ष राहुल गांधी@romanaisarkhan https://t.co/smwhXUROiK #Loksabha #ParliamentWinterSession #Politics #RahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/NG0zMZySUg
— ABP News (@ABPNews) December 9, 2025
It is a familiar pattern: statements tailored for Western consumption, allegations recycled without evidence, and an underlying attempt to delegitimize India’s institutions on the global stage.
But beyond the theatrics, the claims themselves collapse under basic scrutiny.
The CJI “Removed” From The Election Commissioner Selection Panel? A Complete Fabrication
Rahul Gandhi dramatically asked why the Chief Justice of India was “removed” from the EC appointment committee.
Fact: There was no removal. The CJI has never, at any point in history, been part of the Election Commissioner selection mechanism. Under Congress’ own governments, the CEC and ECs were appointed directly by the ruling party, effectively by the Union Cabinet.
Today, at least there is a three-member panel that includes the Leader of the Opposition, where Rahul Gandhi himself sits. If anything, the new arrangement reduces unilateral executive control compared to the Congress era.
To claim “removal” of an element that never existed is pure fiction.
The CCTV Footage “Destroyed After 45 Days” Conspiracy
Rahul Gandhi’s next charge was equally unserious. He insinuated that the Election Commission wants CCTV footage erased after 45 days to enable fraud.
Reality: CCTV footage, especially for a country as vast as India, cannot be stored indefinitely. Data retention policies across the world set limits, often 30, 60, or 90 days, due to storage, cost, and technical logistics.
Expecting every booth’s CCTV video to be archived forever is absurd. Even Rahul Gandhi likely deletes emails, photos, and WhatsApp messages. Would that then constitute “destroying evidence”? This is not electoral fraud. It is routine data-management practice.
Additionally, the time period limits are set for any petitions to be filed – so the system allows citizens to question the process in case of mismanagement/foul play.
Immunity For Election Commissioners? Misrepresented Again
Rahul Gandhi claimed the government changed the law so that Election Commissioners “cannot be punished for anything they do.”
The Truth: Election Commissioners remain fully accountable to Parliament. No immunity shields them from action if wrongdoing is proven.
The clarification in law was required precisely because Rahul Gandhi and his bloc were publicly threatening “revenge” against officials should I.N.D.I Alliance ever come to power. The institutional safeguard ensures ECs are not coerced by political vendetta. This is protection of the office, not impunity for the individuals.
Separately from the 2023 Act, Article 324(5) of the Constitution continues to govern removal: the CEC can be removed only like a Supreme Court judge, by a special‑majority resolution of both Houses of Parliament on grounds of proved misbehaviour or incapacity, and other ECs can be removed by the President on the CEC’s recommendation.
The Recycled Haryana “Vote Chori” Allegations
From here, the speech descends into Rahul Gandhi’s familiar conspiracy catalogue:
– Brazilian woman appearing 22 times on rolls
– One woman appearing 200 times
– “Lakhs” of duplicate voters
– A BJP leader supposedly voting in Haryana
Investigations have already clarified that these were clerical errors, outdated records, or misinterpretations, many of which have existed for decades, long before BJP governments. The Brazilian model claim was outright false; no such photo ever existed in EPIC records.
Rahul Gandhi keeps repeating these claims despite corrections, simply because they serve the narrative, he wants global audiences to believe.
Reviving EVM Bogey After Giving It Up
After months of focusing solely on “voter list manipulation,” Rahul Gandhi has now returned to questioning EVMs, something even his party had quietly stopped doing.
EVMs have been tested, challenged, verified, audited, judicially upheld, and internationally acknowledged as robust. Congress itself won multiple state elections through the same machines without raising doubts.
But now, with cameras rolling and foreign correspondents on alert, Rahul Gandhi revived the trope for maximum amplification.
The Real Target Of The Speech: Global Media, Not Indian Democracy
This was not a parliamentary speech aimed at improving election laws. It was not a domestic appeal to Indian citizens.
This was an international pitch.
A speech crafted in English, packed with unverifiable accusations, designed to appear in Western newspapers as “Opposition leader claims India’s election is rigged.”
Rahul Gandhi knows these claims will not withstand institutional scrutiny within India. But outside India, nuance does not matter, only the headline does.
The goal is simple: To portray India as unstable, unreliable, and institutionally compromised and to blame the government for it.
It is a political strategy that seeks international legitimacy at the cost of national credibility.
And that is precisely what makes the speech not just misleading, but sinister.
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