Government Rebuts Rahul Gandhi's Claim of President Murmu Acknowledging 'Vote-Theft' Charges
A fresh political storm erupted late Friday evening following an official meeting between top opposition lawmakers and President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Leading an INDIA alliance delegation, Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi addressed the press and claimed that the President had not refuted allegations of electoral manipulation. However, high-level government sources and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swiftly dismissed Gandhi's assertion as baseless and misleading, cautioning against politicizing the highest constitutional office in the country.
Rahul Gandhi Claims Rashtrapati Bhavan Sought Evidence
Speaking to reporters immediately after the formal delegation met President Murmu, Rahul Gandhi claimed that the head of state did not dismiss the opposition's concerns regarding electoral rolls and voting integrity:
Gandhi's Assertion to Media: The Congress leader stated that he anticipated the President would defend the electoral framework and flatly deny vote tampering, but alleged he was astonished when she instead asked for evidentiary material regarding the allegations, claiming the opposition is fully equipped with proof.
Questioning Electoral Fairness: Gandhi reiterated his demand for a transparent probe into election administration, asserting that the opposition had placed its institutional concerns directly before the First Citizen.
Government and BJP Strongly Reject Claims, Slam 'Unfortunate' Tactics
Government authorities and senior BJP functionaries quickly condemned the statements, accusing the opposition of misrepresenting closed-door discussions with the President:
Official Rebuttal: Government sources informed news agency PTI that dragging the President of India into partisan political controversy is deeply regrettable and undermines established constitutional decorum.
Sudhanshu Trivedi Calls It Falsehood: BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi termed Gandhi's claim as bizarre, untruthful, and irresponsible, asserting that the Congress leader is routinely casting aspersion on independent constitutional institutions for narrow political gains.
Breach of Protocol: Trivedi remarked that using confidential discussions from Rashtrapati Bhavan to craft a political narrative crosses institutional boundaries, pointing out that only the delegation itself was spinning an unverified version of what actually transpired inside the meeting room.

