In a fiery address marking the finale of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that the PM's electoral victories hinge upon the utilization of "EVMs, ED, CBI, and Income Tax." Gandhi accused the BJP of manipulating Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to secure wins in elections.
Speaking at a rally held at Mumbai's Shivaji Park, Gandhi was joined by a formidable array of leaders from the INDIA bloc, including Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar of NCP, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin of DMK, Tejashwi Yadav of RJD, Jharkhand CM Champai Soren and Kalpana Soren of JMM, former J&K CMs Farooq Abdullah of NC and Mehbooba Mufti of PDP, Dipankar Bhattacharya of CPI-ML, and Saurabh Bhardwaj of AAP, among others.
Gandhi criticized the Election Commission's refusal to consider their demand for counting Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) alongside EVMs. He also highlighted alleged corruption within the Modi-led government, particularly in relation to the electoral bond scheme, which he described as a mechanism for massive extortion to fund BJP's coffers.
Accusing PM Modi of having a "monopoly over corruption," Gandhi pointed to the split between Shiv Sena and NCP, insinuating that it was influenced by coercion. He claimed that a senior Congress leader from Maharashtra left the party out of fear of imprisonment, a decision reportedly confessed to Sonia Gandhi, his mother.
Gandhi also lambasted the controversial Agniveer scheme, asserting widespread opposition to its implementation across the country. He emphasized the imperative of his yatras, undertaken to spotlight issues such as rising unemployment, inflation, and social division.
Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress party president, echoed Gandhi's sentiments, accusing PM Modi of flouting his anti-corruption rhetoric by allegedly extorting funds from corporations through electoral bonds. Kharge further accused Modi of seeking to alter the Constitution drafted by BR Ambedkar.
In a fervent appeal to the electorate, Gandhi urged voters to support INDIA bloc candidates in large numbers, aiming to unseat the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.