Linking Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh’s remarks about replacing Aadhaar with voter IDs and biometrics for welfare payments to the SIR exercise, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Friday said the statement revealed “a deeply sinister plot”. What the Panchayati Raj Minister said goes beyond just “vote chori”, Gandhi said. “This is theft of rights.”Gandhi’s remarks drew a sharp reaction from Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh, who said the Congress leader has “mastered the art of distorting facts.”Earlier in the day, Gandhi shared on X a video of Singh making the statement, and said the minister announced that eligibility for government schemes will no longer be determined by Aadhaar, but by one’s Voter ID. “This is a deeply sinister plot.” the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha wrote in his post in Hindi. “Take a moment to understand it.”Also Read | Aadhaar to be replaced by voter ID, biometrics for benefit payments: Minister“Millions of names are being struck off the electoral rolls—and if this is not stopped, many more will be removed. Whose names are being targeted? Primarily those who are angry with the BJP,” Gandhi added.“The electoral roll should be managed by an impartial Election Commission; instead, it is in the hands of Gyanesh Kumar—an official of the Modi government—who has been caught, with evidence, colluding with BJP to steal votes,” he alleged.The plan is to curate an electoral roll that ensures a permanent majority for the BJP, he said. “And now, this very list will determine whether or not you receive the benefits of government schemes.”Also Read | EC completes Form 6 U-turn, drops SIR para a Commissioner called ‘illegal'“If you decide to oppose the BJP, your name will be selectively removed from the list. No name—no vote. No vote—no rights. Before you know it, you will become an ‘invisible’ citizen in a hijacked democracy—a system where the people do not choose the government, rather, the government chooses its people,” he said, adding, “Today, it concerns Panchayati Raj schemes. Tomorrow, rations? Pensions? MNREGA? Housing? Scholarships? Reservations?”Story continues below this ad“A poor person’s pension cannot be held hostage to their Voter Id. This is not just the theft of votes—it is the theft of your rights. We will not let this happen,” he said.Reacting sharply to Gandhi’s remarks, Singh accused him of “distorting facts”. “The government is committed to ensuring that benefits reach the genuine beneficiaries directly, leaving no scope for middlemen to misuse the system.”Also Read | ‘Illegal, unauthorised’: Election Commissioners objected to Form 6 change“The Pradhan Mantri Viksit Gram Swaraj Yojana (PM VGSY) aims to provide essential training and guidance to every eligible Panchayat representative and individuals associated with a Panchayat. Under this scheme, the identity of the trainees will be verified using their EPIC number and biometric-based Aadhaar authentication,” he said in a video message on X.Also Read | ‘After 12 years, my brother had a son’: Why Congress leaders missed Rahul Gandhi rallyAddressing the National Workshop on People’s Plan Campaign 2026-27 on October 30 , Singh had said, “I would like to add the Aadhaar card will no longer serve as basis for making payments to beneficiaries. Instead, payments to beneficiaries will be processed using their biometrics and their voter ID (EPIC) number),” he said, without elaborating on the schemes for which the EPIC number will be used.