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Rajnath Singh intensifies the BJP’s attack on Rahul Gandhi over the Election Commission protest. (Img: X)
Lucknow: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders over the ongoing protests linked to the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, accusing them of pursuing political opportunism and attempting to destabilise democratic institutions.
Addressing a press briefing in Lucknow, Singh alleged that the protest was not genuinely directed against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar or the SIR exercise. Instead, he claimed that the Opposition was using the controversy to mobilise public anger and advance a broader political agenda.
The Defence Minister also invoked the political upheaval in Bangladesh, alleging that sections of the Opposition were seeking to replicate a similar model of street mobilisation to bring about a change of government in India. His remarks escalated the political confrontation over the Election Commission, electoral roll revision and the Opposition’s campaign against the poll-related exercise.
Singh accused Opposition leaders of attempting to turn young people into instruments of what he described as anarchic politics. He alleged that statements referring to training in Bangladesh and calls for a street-level uprising indicated an effort to engineer political change outside the established democratic process.
According to the minister, such developments raised concerns about the potential politicisation of youth movements and the use of street protests to challenge elected governments. He maintained that the Opposition’s approach threatened to undermine democratic institutions and create instability in the country.
The remarks came amid an intensifying political dispute over the Election Commission’s functioning and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The SIR exercise has become a major point of contention between the ruling establishment and Opposition parties, with disagreements centring on electoral procedures, voter verification and the broader implications for democratic participation.
Singh’s criticism also targeted Rahul Gandhi, whom he accused of political opportunism. The minister’s attack added another dimension to the confrontation between the BJP-led government and the Congress, as the controversy over electoral reforms continued to dominate political discourse.
The headline accusation that the Gandhi family had lost the right to use the Gandhi name underscored the combative tone of Singh’s political messaging. His comments are likely to intensify the exchange of allegations between the ruling party and the Opposition over the legitimacy, intent and consequences of the ongoing protests.
With electoral roll revision and the role of the Election Commission at the centre of the dispute, the latest remarks highlight the widening political divide over institutional accountability, street protests and the boundaries of democratic dissent. The Opposition’s position and the government’s response are expected to remain key elements of the debate as the controversy develops.
