Bengaluru, 30 Aug 

AICC Secretary Mansoor Ali Khan said that the Election Commission’s (EC’s) stance on Vote Chori allegations has put the country at the “risk (of) losing what makes us a real democracy”.

The EC responded to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claim that there was a massive electoral fraud in the City’s Mahadevapura constituency by asking him to file an affidavit or apologise. 

“Asking for basic answers doesn’t make someone against India,” Khan responded in a video. “It makes them a responsible Indian.”

He said that the EC’s threat-like response to questions has further raised doubts about its credibility. 

“When the Election Commission acts defensively or tries to shut people up, public trust falls further,” he said. “When rules get weaponised to silence whistleblowers or political rivals, it's not protecting the vote, it's protecting its own image.” 

Khan added that the EC owed the public a proper response. 

“Our democracy is stronger when every Indian feels safe to ask, ‘Is my name there? Was my vote counted? Was the process fair?’ The authorities owe us answers, not threats,” he said. “If we cannot question, we cannot improve. If we cannot improve, we risk losing what makes us a real democracy.”