India, Aug. 17 -- The Election Commission of India (EC) on Sunday cited privacy concerns of voters to argue why it has not shared CCTV footage from polling booths in recent elections, even after serious allegations of irregularities levied by the Opposition led by Rahul Gandhi.

Criticising the use of phrases like "vote chori (theft)", Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar was combative at a press conference in Delhi. He said "unsuccessful efforts to mislead the voters" amounted to "nothing less than an insult of the Constitution".

Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, reiterated his charges in Bihar, where the Opposition rallied against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) being held just two months before elections are due.

The C...