Pachmarhi/Bhopal- In a fiery address amid the colonial town of Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi escalated his allegations of widespread "vote theft" (vote chori), labelling it a direct assault on democracy and Dr BR Ambedkar's Constitution. "This is an attack on Bharat Mata," Gandhi declared. Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, was in Pachmarhi since Saturday as part of the Congress party's 'Sangthan Srijan Abhiyan' -- an organisational revitalisation drive.

He claimed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process is nothing but masking vote chori manipulation. Speaking to mediapersons, he said, "A few days ago, I presented the Haryana model where 25 lakh votes were stolen -- one vote from every eight. This is their system." Similar irregularities, he said, occurred in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh. "The main issue is ‘vote chori’. We have evidence and will release it one by one," he said. The accusations come amid Congress' push to rebuild grassroots strength ahead of future polls.

Gandhi addressed party workers during a training session, emphasising unity and vigilance against electoral fraud. In a lighter moment that highlighted camaraderie, Gandhi arrived late to the session. Training head Sachin Rao enforced a light-hearted rule; latecomers must face "penal action". When asked what to do, Rao quipped, "At least 10 push-ups." Gandhi complied cheerfully, dropping to the ground in a white T-shirt and trousers. District presidents followed suit, turning the incident into a "learn by fun" experience. "We had a very good response from district presidents," Gandhi later remarked.

Before departing, Gandhi visited Gandhi Chowk in Pachmarhi, paying floral tributes at Mahatma Gandhi's statue -- a symbolic nod to non-violent resistance amid his charges of democratic erosion. He interacted warmly with locals gathered there, shaking hands and posing for photos. From the chowk, he proceeded to the helipad and boarded a helicopter to Bhopal, concluding his Pachmarhi leg of the campaign. Gandhi's claims have stirred political debate, with the BJP dismissing them as baseless attempts to deflect from Congress' electoral losses. The Election Commission has yet to respond officially. (IANS)