New Delhi, Sep 18 (NationPress) Union Minister and chief of the Republican Party of India (A), Ramdas Athawale, sharply criticized Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, declaring that he has failed as a Leader of the Opposition and is diminishing his political stature by making unfounded allegations against both the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Union government.

In response to Rahul Gandhi’s press conference where he accused the ECI of "vote deletion" in Karnataka's Aland constituency during the 2023 Assembly elections, Union Minister Athawale told IANS that the Congress leader is perpetuating falsehoods to attract media attention.

"Rahul Gandhi is a liar. He claims vote theft occurs, but that is incorrect. There was a time when Congress secured votes and formed the government, but since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tenure, he has been re-elected three times while the Opposition has faced defeat three times," he remarked.

The Union Minister further stated that if Rahul Gandhi truly believed that vote manipulation had occurred, he should file a formal complaint instead of making public accusations.

"If vote theft is happening, he should officially register a complaint, but he won't do that," he added.

Addressing Rahul Gandhi’s assertion that SC, ST, and OBC voters were being targeted for deletion from the electoral rolls, Athawale firmly dismissed the allegation.

"This does not occur. The highest number of voters comes from SC, ST, and OBC communities, many of whom reside in slums. Their voting power is significant, and they are the most active voters," he emphasized.

Accusing Rahul Gandhi of misleading the public and unfairly attacking the ECI, Union Minister Athawale stated that such strategies will only garner temporary media attention but yield no genuine political gain.

He continued, "As a Leader of the Opposition, he should also recognize the numerous achievements this (Narendra Modi) government has accomplished. By persistently engaging in this behavior, Rahul Gandhi is merely diminishing his own worth."

On Thursday, Rahul Gandhi renewed his attack on the ECI, alleging that votes were being deleted from Congress booths through fraudulent logins facilitated by a 'centralized system'.

However, he remained evasive when questioned about pursuing the matter with the ECI or taking legal action regarding the 'irregularities and wrongdoings' occurring under the supervision of the electoral body.