Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said there’s no bigger anti-national act than “vote chori” which harms the fabric of the nation. During the debate in the Lower House on the Special Intensive Revision, Rahul Gandhi, reiterating his claim of “rigged” elections, asserted the Election Commission of India (ECI) is “colluding” with the BJP to conduct polls across the nation.“The biggest anti-national act you can do is vote ‘chori’; when you destroy the vote, you destroy the idea of India. Those across the aisle are doing an anti-national act by committing vote ‘chori’,” Rahul Gandhi said, targeting the BJP-led ruling NDA.“There is institutional capture of the EC that directly controls the election system of our country. I have given proof of how EC is colluding with those in power to shape elections. Why was CJI removed from the selection panel for appointing election commissioners, asks Rahul Gandhi. Why the Prime Minister and the home minister give gift of immunity to the election commissioners by changing the law? Why was the law on CCTV footage changed?” Rahul Gandhi asked.Accusing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of capturing the institutions of the nation, Rahul Gandhi said: “The project of the RSS was to capture the institutional framework of the country… Vice-chancellor after vice-chancellor is placed not on merit, not on capability, not on scientific temper, but on the fact that he belongs to a particular organisation.”He futher said: “Second capture, which helps in destroying democracy. The capture of the intelligence agencies. The capture of the CBI, of the ED, of the Income Tax Department. And the systematic placement of bureaucrats who favour their ideology and attack the opposition and anybody who chooses to oppose the RSS.”