‘Please Take Gyanesh Kumar To America,’ Pawan Khera After Trump Praises CEC

Congress leader and Lok Sabha member Pawan Khera launched an online critique directed at US President Donald Trump and India's poll authorities on Tuesday. The post on X came after Trump renewed his call for the passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, citing India's election system and voter identification requirements.

Khera mockingly suggested sending Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and electronic voting machines to America.

"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 said.

Trump Cites Indian Model

Trump used Truth Social on Monday to renew his call for the passage of the SAVE America Act. He highlighted India's strict voter identification requirements to support his push for US electoral reforms.

"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?" he said.

Referring to India's last general election, the US President noted that the country had 646 million voters. He stated that less than one per cent voted by mail and every single voter had to have a valid photo identity document. Trump reiterated his call to Congress for passing the act in his characteristic style. "We need to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, now!" he said.

The SAVE America Act

The legislation, introduced on January 29, aims to ensure that only US citizens participate in federal elections. It requires voters to provide valid identification and proof of citizenship before registering to vote.

"American citizens -- and only American citizens -- should decide American elections," the White House stated describing the proposed law as a "common sense, bipartisan bill."

The proposed law would direct states to remove non-citizens from voter rolls. It also restricts mail-in ballots to cases involving illness, disability, military service or travel. "If you want to register to vote in the United States, you have to be a citizen in the United States," the White House stated.

The administration compared US election procedures with other countries, arguing that America lags behind in basic 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 further said.