'Vote theft' claim false, President being dragged into row is unfortunate: Govt sources

Government sources on Friday rejected Rahul Gandhi's claim that President Droupadi Murmu had accepted the Opposition's allegations of electoral fraud, calling the assertion incorrect and saying it was unfortunate that the President was being dragged into the controversy."The claims being made by the Leader of the Opposition are incorrect. It is unfortunate that the President is being dragged into a controversy in the matter," sources said.The clarification came hours after a 10-member INDIA bloc delegation met President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan and submitted a memorandum seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls.After the meeting, Rahul Gandhi said he was "shocked" that the President had not denied the Opposition's allegations of vote theft and had instead asked the delegation to provide evidence. He claimed that Murmu had accepted what the Opposition leaders told her. However, government sources specifically rejected Gandhi's assertion that the President had accepted the allegations of "vote chori".WHAT DID RAHUL GANDHI SAY AFTER MEETING THE PRESIDENT?Speaking after the meeting, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar were conspiring against Indian democracy. Gandhi said he had expected the President to deny or question the allegations but was surprised by her response."I expected the President to deny our allegations. I was shocked that she accepted what we said," he said.He added that the Opposition was ready to submit evidence to support its allegations of electoral fraud."I told her that the evidence of vote theft is known to the entire country. State after state has been stolen, and yet the President wants us to provide her with proof. We will be happy to submit it to her," Gandhi said.PRESIDENT ASKS OPPOSITION TO SUBMIT EVIDENCEThe meeting between the INDIA bloc delegation and President Murmu lasted nearly an hour. According to Opposition leaders, the President assured them that she would examine the matter after receiving the evidence.Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said the delegation had taken a positive view of the President's response, adding that she had agreed to go through the details and examine the allegations.Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the President had listened to the Opposition's concerns and assured the delegation that she would examine the matter, consult the relevant parties and decide on the appropriate course of action.The Opposition said it was compiling the evidence sought by the President and would submit it to her. The bloc has also indicated plans to approach the Supreme Court with its memorandum.The delegation's meeting with the President came amid an intensifying Opposition campaign against the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.The INDIA bloc has accused the poll body of facilitating the removal of legitimate voters' names and has demanded accountability over alleged irregularities in the electoral process.- EndsWith PTI inputs