Kharge alleges 'undeclared Emergency', demands CEC's removal and ballot-paper polls

Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday (October 11) accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of imposing what he described as an "undeclared Emergency", alleging that restrictions on transport services and internet access, the seizure of mobile phones and the detention of young protesters were aimed at silencing the Opposition.

Speaking to journalists at Kalaburagi airport, Mr. Kharge compared the present situation with the Emergency of 1975–77, a period during which, he said, he had served as a minister. The Emergency was proclaimed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and was marked by the suspension of civil liberties, press censorship and the detention of a large number of political opponents.

"Trains were not disrupted, flights were not disrupted, and educational institutions functioned smoothly during the Emergency. But today, there is no declared Emergency; this is an undeclared Emergency," he said.

He held Mr. Modi, Mr. Shah and the Delhi Police responsible for the restrictions and for police action against protesters in Delhi a day earlier. That protest was directed at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

Mr. Kharge said the Congress and other Opposition parties had repeatedly raised concerns about alleged vote theft in Maharashtra, Haryana and Karnataka — including in Aland and Mahagaon — but that the Election Commission and the government had failed to act. He claimed that recent disclosures by two Election Commission members had strengthened the Opposition's concerns about alleged electoral irregularities.

Questioning the immunity granted to the Chief Election Commissioner under a law enacted in 2023, Mr. Kharge asked why such protection was in place. "Judges do not have such immunity, the Chief Justice of India does not have it, and even the President of India does not have it. Why has it been given to the Chief Election Commissioner?" he said. The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, sets out the process for appointing the CEC and other election commissioners and lays down the conditions of their service.

Mr. Kharge demanded the removal of the CEC and action against those he alleged were involved in electoral manipulation, naming Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah among them. He also alleged that electoral rolls were being manipulated through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and by other means to influence election results.

He reiterated three demands: that elections be held using ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs), that EVMs be removed from the electoral process, and that Mr. Kumar be dismissed. He further sought the resignation of governments that he said had come to power through electoral fraud, and the dissolution of the concerned State Assemblies.

On the INDIA bloc's proposed protest in Delhi on Monday (October 12), Mr. Kharge said he and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had sought an appointment with the Chief Justice of India between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. to submit a letter. Other alliance leaders would join the delegation, subject to the number of persons permitted to meet the Chief Justice, he said.

Demands for a return to ballot papers have been raised by several political parties over the years. EVMs have been used at polling stations across the country in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections since 2004, and the Election Commission has introduced VVPAT paper-trail machines, which print a slip that a voter can see, with their use expanded from the 2019 general election. The Commission has in the past rejected allegations of irregularities in the conduct of elections.

This report did not carry any response from the Union government, the Election Commission or the Delhi Police to the allegations. The claims of electoral manipulation remain allegations made by Opposition leaders and have not been independently verified.