Andhra Pradesh Congress Commitee (APCC) president Y. S. Sharmila on Thursday criticised the BJP-led Central government and the Election Commission of India (ECI), during a candlelight rally organised by the party on Thursday.

Speaking during rally organised by party leaders from Andhra Ratna Bhavan, Ms. Sharmila called out the BJP for “mockery of democracy, with the support of the ECI,” and raised slogans of “Vote-chor gaddi chod.”

She questioned how the EC gave permission to register new voters using false data. “The Election Commission has no answers to the questions asked by party leader Rahul Gandhi. It is matter of shame,” she added.

She added, the EC, is supposed to safeguard democracy and the Constitution, is behaving like an agent of the BJP. “Like all other institutions in the country, even the EC is playing into the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi” she alleged.

She added that the Congress demands answers to questions asked by Rahul Gandhi. “It has come to light that lakhs of votes have been removed from the Bihar electoral rolls,” adding: “The irregularities are so blatant that Rahul Gandhi went and had tea with seven persons who were supposedly dead. It’s a shame for a democracy like India, she said, demanding an enquiry of the highest level and stringent punishment to those found guilty.