The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday responded to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegations against the poll body, accusing it of large-scale voter fraud ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.
Gandhi had claimed to have "open and shut" evidence of alleged poll irregularities by the poll authority and said that it would have no place to hide.
The poll body slammed his claims as “baseless” and “irresponsible,” advising EC officials not to pay heed to such daily allegations and threats.
The EC in a statement said, "The Election Commission ignores such baseless allegations being made on a daily basis and, despite daily threats being given, urges all election officials to disregard such irresponsible statements and continue to work impartially, fairly, and transparently."
The EC said that its primary focus remains on upholding democratic values and ensuring free and fair elections across the country.
The poll watchdog further said that it has invited Gandhi over his past allegations in a mail sent on June 12, but he has so far not come for it.
He also never sent any letter to the EC on any issue, the poll body said.
"It is very strange that he is making wild allegations and has now even started threatening EC and its staff. Deplorable," it said.
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi accused Election Commission of induling in "vote chori" (vote theft) for the BJP.
Speaking to reporters at the Parliament, Rahul claimed that he had "open and shut proof" of ECI's involvement in vote theft when asked about the contentious Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in poll-bound Bihar.
Gandhi said his party had suspicions of poll irregularities in Madhya Pradesh assembly polls in 2023, then in the Lok Sabha polls and then the Maharashtra assembly polls.
"We have said that there is a theft of votes happening and now we have open and shut proof that the Election Commission is involved in theft of votes. I am not saying it lightly, I am saying it with hundred percent proof. As soon as we release it, the entire nation will come to know that Election Commission is working for the BJP to steal votes," Rahul said.