Bhubaneswar, Aug 11: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan held a press conference responding to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s sharp criticism of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar.

Rahul Gandhi had alleged that the Election Commission was colluding with the BJP to systematically remove SC, ST, OBC, and minority voters from the rolls.

Pradhan dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated, stating, “Rahul Gandhi speaks of constitutional values, yet his actions are the most unconstitutional in today’s politics.” He accused Gandhi of undermining democratic institutions and attempting to destabilize the electoral process.

The minister challenged Gandhi to present names of individuals who were wrongly excluded from the voter list. “If he has proof, let him submit it. Otherwise, this is just another attempt to deflect from his electoral defeats,” the Union Minister said.

He further criticized Gandhi for repeatedly questioning institutions — from EVMs to the Election Commission to defence deals — whenever electoral outcomes didn’t favour his party. “No leader in independent India has been rebuked by the Supreme Court the way Rahul has. He has crossed all limits of political decency,” Pradhan added.

The Election Commission, meanwhile, clarified that the SIR process in Bihar was nearly complete, with 99.8% voter verification achieved. Around 56 lakh names were removed due to death, migration, or duplication.

Union Minister Pradhan emphasized that the EC is a constitutional body and not a political tool. He accused Gandhi of trying to include illegal immigrants in the voter list, which he said would lead to chaos and threaten national integrity.

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