The Congress party on 18 August launched an online critique directed at United States President Donald Trump and India’s poll authorities, telling the US leader to take Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and electronic voting machines to America.
The remarks by senior Congress leader Pawan Khera came in response to the US President’s push for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, citing India’s election system and voter identification requirements.
“Dear Donald Trump, please take Gyanesh Kumar Gupta to America. And keep him there. We will send our EVMs too by the next available flight. For all the insults and bullying you’ve sent our way, this is the least we can do for you. To SIR, With Love, from India,” Khera, a Rajya Sabha MP, wrote on X.
The Congress leader’s remarks came after Donald Trump publicly invoked India’s electoral model in a bid to pass the SAVE America Act. Trump, while renewing his call for the passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, cited India’s election system and a remark by CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump recalled remarks attributed to India’s Kumar earlier this month regarding voter identification requirements in the US.
“Earlier this month, India’s Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, asked our Administration — How can you have Elections in the US without a valid Photo ID?” Trump said.
Referring to India’s last general election, Trump said, “India’s last Election had 646,000,000 Voters! Less than 1 per cent voted by mail, and every single Voter had to have a VALID Photo Identity Document.”
Trump reiterated his call for Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, saying, “We need to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, now!”
In the Lok Sabha election 2024, over 968 million people out of a population of 1.4 billion were eligible to vote in India. Of this, 642 million voters participated in what was the largest-ever election.
What is SAVE America Act?
The legislation is aimed at ensuring that only US citizens participate in deciding federal elections.
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act is a proposed federal law that requires individuals to provide documentary proof of US citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections and mandates a photo ID to cast a ballot.
The legislation is aimed at ensuring that only US citizens participate in deciding federal elections. “American citizens – and only American citizens – should decide American elections,” the White House said, describing the SAVE America Act as a “common sense, bipartisan bill.”
The White House said the proposed legislation would require voters to provide valid identification before registering to vote in a federal election, along with proof of citizenship.
It also proposes restrictions on mail-in ballots, allowing them only in cases involving illness, disability, military service or travel. The White House said the Act would direct states to remove non-citizens from voter rolls.
“If you want to register to vote in the United States, you have to be a citizen in the United States,” the White House said.
The administration also compared US election procedures with those in other countries, arguing that America lags behind other nations in enforcing what it described as basic election protections.
“India and Brazil tie voter ID to a biometric database, while the United States largely relies on self-attestation for citizenship,” the White House said.
The Bill to pass the law was introduced on 29 January.
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