CEC Rajiv Kumar Responds To Jairam Ramesh’s Allegations Against Amit Shah: ‘We Will Punish…’

Jairam Ramesh alleged that Amit Shah had called 150 district magistrates after voting for the Lok Sabha elections was completed. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar reacted sharply to the claim on Monday, June 3, stating, "It's not right to spread a rumour and doubt everyone."

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar addressed a press conference in New Delhi on Monday. He asked, "Can someone influence them (district magistrates/returning officers) all? Tell us who did this. We will punish the person who did it. It is not right that you spread a rumour and doubt everyone," he added.

Election Commission Seeks Details

Earlier, the Election Commission of India had sought factual information and details from Jairam Ramesh for his statement on social media. Ramesh had alleged that Amit Shah made calls to 150 district magistrates just days before the scheduled counting of votes on June 4. The poll body asked for a response from Ramesh by June 2 evening for further necessary action.

In a letter to Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, the Election Commission mentioned that "the process of counting votes is a sacred duty cast upon every returning officer (RO), and such public statements by a senior leader tend to put an element of doubt and thus, deserve to be addressed in the larger public interest."

No Evidence of Undue Influence

"Although no district magistrate has reported any undue influence, the EC had sought details and information from Jairam Ramesh of 150 district magistrates whom Amit Shah allegedly influenced," the letter added.

On Saturday, Jairam Ramesh alleged that "the outgoing Home Minister has been calling up district magistrates/collectors." He called it "BJP desperation" and said officials should not succumb to such intimidation.

Congress Leader's Allegations

"So far, he has spoken to 150 of them. This is blatant and brazen intimidation, showing how desperate the BJP is. Let it be very clear: the will of the people shall prevail, and on June 4th, Mr. Modi, Mr. Shah, and the BJP will exit, and the INDIA Janbandhan will be victorious. Officers should not get under any pressure and must uphold the Constitution. They are under watch," Jairam Ramesh stated.

Exit Poll Predictions

If the exit poll results are to be believed, the BJP is returning to power on June 4. Narendra Modi will become the only prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to win three successive terms in Lok Sabha polls. The exit polls predicted 'Modi 3.0' with PM Modi having led the BJP's poll effort through rallies and roadshows across various parts of the country.