New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi’s sharp critique of the Election Commission of India, delivered during an interaction with the Indian diaspora in Boston, has ignited a heated political exchange in the country, with the BJP slamming him for “defaming India abroad” and the Congress standing firm in his defence.
Calling the poll body “compromised” and citing anomalies in the 2023 Maharashtra Assembly elections, Gandhi alleged that 65 lakh votes appeared within just two hours — a jump he claimed was “physically impossible.”
“More people voted than the total population of Maharashtra… It’s clear there’s something fundamentally wrong with the system,” said the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, reiterating past accusations of institutional bias.
Anti Democracy, Anti India Rahul Gandhi who could not win the trust of Indian electorate begins to question Indian democratic process on a foreign soil.
Why does Rahul always defame India on a foreign soil?
An agent of George Soros who is Fighting Indian state – that’s what… pic.twitter.com/jzN7ihOYV8
— Pradeep Bhandari(प्रदीप भंडारी)🇮🇳 (@pradip103) April 21, 2025
The BJP responded swiftly, with party spokesperson Dr. Sambit Patra launching a blistering counterattack in Delhi. He branded Gandhi a “serial offender” and an “agent of George Soros”, accusing him of maligning India’s democratic process on foreign soil.
VIDEO | BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla (@Shehzad_Ind) speaks on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s remarks in Boston on Election Commission of India.
“He keeps chanting about the Constitution, but at the same time, he insults the institutions that protect it. This has become Rahul… pic.twitter.com/yXPfQs8CzK
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 21, 2025
Patra questioned whether elections in Jharkhand, where the Congress and its allies fared well, were also “compromised” under the same Election Commission.
“If the system was truly biased, how did Congress manage to celebrate 99 seats as a victory when the BJP secured 240 in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls?” he asked, underscoring the strength of India’s democratic structure.
LIVE: BJP National Spokesperson Dr. @sambitswaraj addresses press conference at BJP HQ, Delhi. https://t.co/ID0qjGfNFt
— BJP (@BJP4India) April 21, 2025
Taking a personal dig, Patra reminded the media that Rahul Gandhi is facing corruption charges in the National Herald case and is currently out on bail. He accused the Congress of siphoning off funds through “bogus ads and donations,” alleging that the money went to senior leaders including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi — both named in a chargesheet by the Enforcement Directorate.
Despite the BJP’s strong rebuttal, the Congress maintained that highlighting irregularities is part of democratic accountability. The party dismissed the ruling party’s reaction as an attempt to silence criticism by branding every dissenting voice as “anti-national.”
As election-related tensions escalate, Gandhi’s Boston remarks have once again become a flashpoint in the battle over the credibility of India’s democratic institutions.
