Union Minister Piyush Goyal has launched a scathing counterattack against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the latter’s persistent allegations questioning the independence of the Election Commission of India. Dismissing Gandhi’s remarks as “childish,” Goyal accused the grand old party of systematically dismantling every sacred pillar of the Indian Constitution during its decades-long rule. Reasserting the NDA administration’s unwavering commitment to democratic values, Goyal emphasized that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has consistently empowered the poll panel to function with absolute autonomy, transparency, and freedom in the supreme interest of the nation.

Countering the opposition’s narrative, Goyal forcefully claimed that the Modi government has never rewarded election commissioners with political offices or post-retirement sinecures. In stark contrast, he highlighted the abysmal track record of successive Congress governments, where high-ranking election commissioners were routinely inducted as Members of Parliament or appointed to Union cabinet portfolios. Citing the legendary tenure of former Chief Election Commissioner T.N. Seshan—universally celebrated for his uncompromising integrity and fierce independence—Goyal pointed out how the Congress party later fielded him directly against veteran leader Lal Krishna Advani in a blatant political maneuver.

Lambarding the opposition’s hypocrisy, Goyal stated, “Congress hypocritically questions the neutrality of the Election Commission while conveniently burying its own deeply partisan track record. Under the visionary leadership of PM Modi, our government has granted complete institutional autonomy to the poll panel, enabling it to work fearlessly for the nation. We have never sought to leverage election officials for partisan political gains; instead, they have been encouraged to discharge their constitutional duties with utmost honesty and diligence.”

Directly addressing Gandhi’s allegations, Goyal further exposed past congressional appointments by stating, “If you scrutinize the historical records of the Congress party, the scale of institutional manipulation becomes glaringly obvious. A Chief Election Commissioner was handed a party ticket to contest elections, another was absorbed straight into the Union Cabinet, and two others were appointed as state Governors. On one notable occasion, a Chief Election Commissioner formally complained that a fellow commissioner was functioning as an active Congress agent, yet the government flatly refused to take action against him. Such blatant, unapologetic partisanship is unprecedented in modern Indian governance.”