Election Commission no longer neutral: Hooda

Senior Congress leader and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday endorsed LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that the Election Commission is no longer neutral, claiming that recent elections had exposed deep flaws in the electoral process.

Addressing the party’s “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod” rally at Ramlila ground in the national capital, Hooda said the elections held recently, including those in Maharashtra, Haryana and Karnataka, had now “proved” what Rahul Gandhi has been alleging for months, that the constitutional authority tasked with safeguarding free and fair polls had failed in its duty.

“The Constitution gave every citizen the right to vote after Independence. Today, that very right is being manipulated,” Hooda said, alleging large-scale interference in the voting process.

Referring to growing public distrust in electronic voting machines, Hooda said ordinary citizens were openly demanding a return to a transparent voting system. “Even the common man wants to get rid of EVMs,” he said.

The former chief minister cited Germany as an example, claiming that courts there had ruled that electronic voting systems were vulnerable to manipulation and therefore unacceptable in a democracy.

Hooda said the Congress would not remain silent and warned of a nationwide agitation under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. “This will not stop here. There will be a movement across the country, led by Rahul Gandhi, to protect the people’s right to vote,” he said.