Piyush Goyal is not holding back. The Union Commerce Minister, joined by Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh at a joint briefing, fired a string of 10 pointed questions at Rahul Gandhi, demanding he stop what Goyal called 'shoot and scoot' tactics. The core accusation? Hypocrisy. Goyal argued that the Congress, under its rule, drove the Election Commission to its lowest ebb by rewarding former Chief Election Commissioners with political positions, yet now questions the fairness of the current body.
He cited T N Seshan, who was fielded by the Congress against L K Advani in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, and M S Gill, who received the Padma Vibhushan in 2000 while still serving. "Did you give Seshan a ticket to reward him for his integrity?" Goyal asked. He also noted that the Congress inducted former CECs into the Union Cabinet and appointed two as Governors, a practice he claimed the NDA government has never followed.
The attack on Gandhi was personal. Goyal labeled him "the biggest red flag" and, in a scathing deviation from standard diplomatic language, referred to Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee as "chors" (thieves). He pointed to a recent alleged incident where Gandhi mistreated a woman journalist, calling it objectionable. But the legal challenge was sharper: why has Gandhi not filed a single sworn affidavit with the ECI?
Goyal’s tenth question was the kicker. If there is evidence of "vote chori," why not submit it to the Supreme Court? He noted that the court had already upheld the constitutional validity of the Bihar SIR process. The ball is now in Congress's court. They must file legal documents or resign their four state governments in protest, as Goyal suggested a genuine belief in rigged elections would demand. Silence is no longer an option.