Rahul Gandhi Accuses EC of 'Gaslighting Citizens' Amid BMC Polls Ink Row; BJP Hits Back

• Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of 'gaslighting citizens' over allegations of easily removable indelible ink in BMC polls.
• Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders, including Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, claimed the ink used in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections was easily wiped off, suggesting administrative lapses.
• BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla hit back at Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of distorting facts and spreading disinformation, calling it a 'Bahana brigade'.
• Maharashtra State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare clarified that the same indelible ink has been used since 2011, but it is now applied in marker form, denying any change in quality.
• Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis defended the ink, attempting to wipe his own mark, and suggested the EC investigate and consider alternatives like oil paint.

Why It Matters: Rahul Gandhi and MVA leaders allege BMC poll ink fraud, while BJP and EC defend the process.