BJP launches nationwide offensive against INDIA bloc's protest

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju dismissed the Opposition's sit-in at Akashvani Bhawan as a recurring “daily drama” that has persisted since 2014. The protest, led by Rahul Gandhi, sought to challenge the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and secure a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Rijiju argued that the Congress party, unable to reconcile with electoral defeat, has resorted to attacking the Election Commission and the Supreme Court to remain relevant.

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan echoed these sentiments, defending the voter list purification process as the “soul of democracy.” He questioned the Opposition’s resistance to removing fake or deceased voters, suggesting the Congress party relies on such irregularities for political survival. Meanwhile, BJP spokespersons Sambit Patra and Sudhanshu Trivedi targeted the Opposition for allegedly spreading misinformation regarding Form 6 and the Supreme Court’s stance on electoral procedures. Party leaders across multiple states, including Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Tamil Nadu’s Tamilisai Soundararajan, characterized the protests as a broader attempt to delegitimize democratic institutions. The BJP maintains that the revision exercise is a standard administrative procedure, accusing the INDIA bloc of manufacturing crises to mobilize crowds rather than engaging in legitimate political discourse.