BJP national spokesperson accuses Rahul Gandhi and Congress of misleading people over electoral processes; alleges attempts to undermine constitutional institutions
Raipur: BJP national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Dr Sudhanshu Trivedi on Friday accused the Congress of attempting to create instability in the country by spreading what he described as misleading propaganda against constitutional institutions and the Election Commission, alleging that the party’s objective was not merely to return to power but to create an atmosphere of anarchy.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP’s state headquarters in Raipur under the party’s Loktantra Bachao–Arajakta Hatao (Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy) campaign, Trivedi questioned the Congress’s allegations of irregularities in electoral processes and challenged its leadership to explain why objections had not been raised at the appropriate stages of the electoral roll revision process.
He said electoral rolls were first made available to district-level political representatives, followed by the state election machinery and subsequently the Election Commission of India, with provisions for filing objections at each stage.
“If the Congress claims that no objections were raised at the district level, is it questioning the effectiveness of its own district presidents? If objections were not filed at the state level either, is it questioning the competence of its state unit?” he asked.
Trivedi said the Congress should direct its questions to its booth-level agents (BLAs), district presidents and state leadership rather than making allegations after the completion of electoral processes.
He also questioned the Congress’s argument that CCTV footage of polling stations was unavailable after 45 days. Referring to recent Assembly and Lok Sabha bypolls, he said their results had been declared only 10-15 days earlier and the stipulated 45-day period had not yet expired.
“Let the Congress clarify whether it intends to seek the footage within the prescribed period or will wait until 45 days have passed and then create an uproar,” he said.
Alleging that the Congress was deliberately questioning legally established procedures to create confusion, Trivedi said the party was attempting to undermine public confidence in democratic institutions.
Targets Rahul Gandhi over proposed agitation
Trivedi also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s proposed agitation, questioning its timing and potential impact on business activity in Delhi.
He alleged that Gandhi would decide the date of the protest after returning from an unexplained foreign trip and claimed that the proposed protest location was an important commercial hub for north India.
Referring to the festive season from Navratri to Diwali and Chhath Puja, he said business transactions worth nearly Rs 6 lakh crore had taken place during the corresponding period last year.
He questioned whether the proposed agitation was being undertaken with the intention of disrupting economic activity and referred to Gandhi’s earlier statement that his fight was against the “Indian State”.
Trivedi alleged that the Congress was not merely challenging government policies but was attempting to discredit constitutional institutions, including the Election Commission, judiciary, media and other regulatory bodies.
Cites Rafale, surgical strikes and economic institutions
Accusing the Congress of repeatedly questioning India’s institutional and economic credibility, Trivedi cited the Rafale controversy, surgical strikes, the Balakot airstrike and Operation Sindoor.
He alleged that the Congress had raised doubts about the government’s handling of the Rafale deal and questioned the armed forces’ operations, including the role of the Army, Navy and Air Force during Operation Sindoor.
He also cited the financial performance of public sector institutions to counter Congress’s criticism of the economy.
Trivedi claimed that the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) was reporting record profits, the State Bank of India (SBI) had registered its highest-ever profits since 2017-18, and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) had an order book worth Rs 1 lakh crore.
He further accused the Congress of spreading misinformation about India’s Covid-19 vaccination programme, particularly its claims in April 2021 that children’s vaccines had been sent abroad. He said no vaccine for children had been developed anywhere in the world by that time.
Questions Congress’s position on religion and culture
Trivedi alleged that the Congress was inconsistent in its positions on Indian religious traditions and cultural issues.
Referring to the Congress’s criticism of the BJP-ruled states, which its allies had allegedly described as “cow urine states”, he questioned the party’s position on the use of cow dung and cow urine in organic farming.
He specifically referred to the Chhattisgarh government’s 2020 initiative under the then chief minister Bhupesh Baghel to promote the use of cow dung and cow urine as organic inputs.
“If the use of cow dung and cow urine was acceptable in Chhattisgarh, why is it ridiculed elsewhere? Was the Congress right in Raipur or is it right in Delhi?” he asked.
He also accused the Congress of maintaining silence over controversial remarks concerning women made by certain political and religious figures while raising questions about Hindu traditions.
Contrasts BJP’s governance model with Congress
Contrasting the BJP’s governance record with that of Congress governments, Trivedi cited the Gujarat model under Narendra Modi, agricultural initiatives in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka’s interest-free loans for farmers and the law-and-order records of Uttar Pradesh under former chief ministers Kalyan Singh and Rajnath Singh.
He alleged that Congress governments were frequently marked by internal power struggles, citing the political differences between Bhupesh Baghel and TS Singh Deo in Chhattisgarh, Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan, and Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar in Karnataka.
He said the BJP wanted to draw people’s attention to its development agenda in Chhattisgarh under Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, referring to the government’s themes of Vishwas Ka Varsh (Year of Trust) and Nirman Ka Varsh (Year of Development).
Trivedi also questioned the Congress’s political performance in several states, citing its declining electoral presence in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and Odisha.
Questions Congress’s selective criticism of Election Commission
Trivedi further questioned what he described as the Congress’s selective criticism of the Election Commission, alleging that the party accepted electoral outcomes when it performed well but raised questions when results went against it.
He cited elections in Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Assam to argue that the Congress had adopted inconsistent positions on the functioning of the poll panel.
He also referred to the Congress’s poor electoral performance in several states, questioning how the party expected to secure a parliamentary majority when it had struggled to establish a significant presence across large parts of the country.
Referring to developments in neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh, Trivedi alleged that the Congress was drawing inspiration from political upheavals abroad in its attempts to create instability in India. He said such efforts would fail and asserted that the public continued to support the BJP-led NDA.
“India is moving towards new heights of development under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while Chhattisgarh is progressing under Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai. The country’s development is not acceptable to certain forces, and Rahul Gandhi and the Congress have become instruments in their hands,” he alleged.
BJP state president Kiran Deo, state general secretary Akhilesh Soni, Dr Naveen Markandey, former MLA Shivratan Sharma, state vice-president Nandan Jain, chief state spokesperson and MP Santosh Pandey, and state media coordinator Hemant Panigrahi were present at the press conference.
