Arrests Cannot Be the Answer to Vote Theft Allegations: Uttam Kumar Reddy

Telangana Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Captain N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has strongly reacted to the protest being led by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with Priyanka Gandhi, in Delhi. Responding to the allegations of “vote theft”, Uttam criticised the detention of opposition MPs and the reported blocking of buses carrying them to Jantar Mantar. He said arrests, cases and barricades cannot silence questions raised by the people and alleged that the Centre’s attempt to suppress Rahul Gandhi’s campaign through cases was misguided.

Uttam Kumar Reddy demanded that the Election Commission respond with evidence to objections raised over the revision of electoral rolls. He called for transparency over the criteria followed for adding and deleting voters’ names and sought an independent and impartial examination of the “vote theft” allegations. He said the Election Commission should function transparently without coming under pressure from any political party and ensure that every eligible citizen’s right to vote is protected. Uttam also extended his full support to the campaign for electoral transparency under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership.