Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday launched a strong attack on Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. Speaking at a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, Chandrasekhar accused Gandhi of using “lies and misinformation” and said he was an “inauthentic politician”. His remarks came amid a fresh political dispute over changes to the online Form 6 used for voter registration and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.What did Rajeev Chandrasekhar say about Rahul Gandhi?Chandrasekhar accused Rahul Gandhi of making allegations against the government and constitutional institutions without what he described as a positive political agenda.He said:“Rahul Gandhi is a pre-eminent fraudster in Indian politics. Rahul Gandhi is an inauthentic politician who relies on lies and misinformation without any positive agenda to conduct his politics.”The BJP leader also alleged that Gandhi had developed a pattern of making claims that, according to him, were not supported by facts.Chandrasekhar further said:“Rahul Gandhi is neither a protector of secularism, nor is he a protector of the Constitution. He is a protector of his own family interest.”These are Chandrasekhar's political allegations and were made during his criticism of Gandhi and the Congress.Why did Chandrasekhar attack Rahul Gandhi?The latest BJP-Congress exchange is linked to the controversy surrounding the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.Rahul Gandhi on Thursday questioned changes made to the online Form 6, which is used for fresh voter registration. He asked who within the Election Commission ordered Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to make the changes and who approved them at the company.Gandhi wrote on X:“The online Form 6 was changed illegally - as the EC's own Commissioners have recorded. Who at the ECI ordered Tata Consultancy Services to make that change?”He also asked:“Who at TCS signed off on it? And were they pressured into doing it?”The questions came after reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections over the addition of an SIR-related declaration to the online Form 6.What is the Form 6 controversy?Form 6 is the application used by eligible citizens to seek fresh inclusion in the electoral roll.During the SIR process, an additional declaration was attached to the online version of the form. The declaration sought information about whether the applicant, their parent or grandparent appeared in an electoral roll prepared during an earlier SIR exercise.The reported objections from Election Commissioners focused on the legal process used for the addition. According to reports, the commissioners argued that the statutory Form 6 could not simply be modified without following the prescribed legal procedure.However, the Election Commission has disputed the description that the statutory Form 6 itself was changed. The poll panel has said that the original statutory Form 6 was not amended and that an additional Annexure-D was attached specifically for the SIR process.The Election Commission has also removed the additional SIR-related declaration from the online system in states where the SIR exercise has been completed. It remains applicable in areas where the revision process is still underway.What did Chandrasekhar say about Gandhi's earlier claims?Chandrasekhar also referred to earlier political statements made by Rahul Gandhi while criticising his approach to politics.He alleged that Gandhi had previously claimed that EVMs were systematically hacked and had said that democracy was being stolen.Chandrasekhar said:“Gandhi claimed EVMs were systematically hacked. That was proved to be wrong. He said democracy is being stolen. That has been repeatedly proved to be wrong, especially when his party was winning elections.”He also used a strong historical comparison, alleging:“He is a living, breathing practitioner of the philosophy of Joseph Goebbels, who was Adolf Hitler’s propaganda minister.”These remarks represent Chandrasekhar's political assessment of Gandhi and are not independent findings established by the Election Commission in relation to the current Form 6 dispute.What is the wider political dispute?The Form 6 controversy is part of a larger confrontation between the Opposition and the Election Commission over the SIR exercise and electoral-roll procedures.On September 30, INDIA bloc parties announced a series of protests over alleged irregularities in the electoral process. Opposition MPs are scheduled to march to the Election Commission on October 6, while opposition leaders have also planned to raise their concerns with President Droupadi Murmu.The Opposition has questioned the handling of electoral-roll revisions and demanded greater accountability from the poll panel.The Election Commission, meanwhile, has maintained that electoral rolls are prepared through established statutory procedures. On the Form 6 issue, the Commission has specifically maintained that the statutory form itself was not amended and that the additional declaration was linked to the SIR process.The latest exchange between Chandrasekhar and Gandhi therefore comes amid an ongoing political and institutional dispute over voter registration, electoral-roll revision and the functioning of the Election Commission.Also Read : Norway Press Row: Norwegian Journalist Invites Rahul Gandhi for Interview After PM Modi 'No-Questions' Dispute
