Congress and BJP trade barbs over Election Commission protests

Khera framed the ongoing protests as an unprecedented crisis of institutional legitimacy, citing the rare sight of opposition parties marching to the Supreme Court. He questioned whether any previous Chief Election Commissioner had faced such widespread dissent, arguing that the protests reflect deep-seated public anger over alleged irregularities and the mass deletion of voter names. The opposition is currently demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, claiming his leadership has compromised the democratic rights of citizens.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal countered by labeling Rahul Gandhi a "red flag" for the Congress party, accusing him of repeatedly causing electoral setbacks. Goyal issued a challenge for Gandhi to answer ten questions regarding electoral processes and alleged vote theft. Furthermore, the minister condemned the conduct of Congress leaders during the protests, citing reports that a pregnant journalist was mistreated while covering the demonstration. Goyal also pointed to internal party contradictions, noting that senior Congress figures like Ramesh Chennithala and Shashi Tharoor previously defended electoral verification processes that the party now publicly opposes.