BJP leaders launched a scathing attack on the INDIA bloc after its leaders held a 'March for Democracy' and petitioned the Supreme Court against the ECI, accusing the Opposition of creating anarchy and undermining constitutional institutions.
Political tensions in the national capital reached a boiling point as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and its allies on Monday launched a blistering attack on the Opposition as INDIA bloc leaders filed a petition before the Supreme Court against the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The petition was successfully filed following a high-octane protest, 'March for Democracy ', to the apex court from central Delhi today. The petition, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, seeks suspension of the ongoing SIR exercise across the country pending adjudication of the issues raised. It also seeks the constitution of an independent committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to examine the implementation of the revision exercise and review the technical systems governing electoral rolls and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
BJP Slams Opposition's 'Unseemly Spectacle'
INDIA alliance's rigorous protest march to the Supreme Court triggered widespread reactions from the ruling party, with party leaders sharply criticising the Opposition for allegedly creating disorder and ruckus in the national capital. In this context, BJP National Spokesperson and MP Sudhanshu Trivedi accused Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and his associates of attempting to plunge the country into anarchy by holding a protest march to the Supreme Court in Delhi.
Speaking at a press conference, Trivedi slammed Gandhi, saying that no other Opposition leader has ever committed such an act before. "To plunge the country into the fire of anarchy, Rahul Gandhi and his associates, ready to stoop to any extent, have today presented an unseemly spectacle at the Supreme Court in Delhi. This has no precedent in the history of India. The way a mob was gathered to influence and terrorise the court, I believe no opposition leader has ever done this before," he said.
He further alleged that opposition leaders broke security cordons and bypassed designated checkpoints to create disorder. "Running away to the other side, breaking their security cordon, and trying to enter through another gate shows that either they have lost their mental balance or are driven by suspicious forces to such an extent that they are willing to stoop to any level to create disorder on the streets of India," he said.
Alleges Attack on Judiciary
The BJP spokesperson highlighted a statement from the Kerala unit of the Congress party, which governs in alliance with the Muslim League, pointing out that the state unit targeted Chief Justice of India Suryakant, demanding his resignation and questioning his handling of law and order. "The Kerala government, formed by the Congress and Muslim League alliance, through the Kerala unit of Congress, has made an extremely lowly (now-deleted) post using words like 'Dear Suryakant' for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, saying, 'You should resign', and that 'law and order is not your cup of tea, so resign, we will appoint a new one'. Crores of citizens of the country must realise that law and order is not even a subject for the court, and now a state unit, the Congress party unit, is saying, 'You resign, we will create a new option'," he said.
"This means their inner desire has now become clear: earlier they wanted the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, then Home Minister Amit Shah, then Prime Minister Modi, and now they want the resignation of Chief Justice Suryakant," he added.
In this regard, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) condemned statements circulating on social media seeking the resignation of CJI Surya Kant, saying such remarks undermined the institution of the judiciary and sought to interfere with the administration of justice. In an official statement, the bar body emphasised that public commentary targeting the head of the judiciary interfered with institutional stability, while affirming that citizens retained the fundamental right to seek legal remedies in accordance with law. “Statements of this nature belittle the institution of the judiciary and amount to an attempt to interfere with the administration of justice,” the SCBA said, while emphasising that every person has the right to approach courts and seek remedies in accordance with law. The SCBA also called upon its members and others to maintain the “dignity and decorum” of the Supreme Court of India.
Further accusing the grand old party of adopting destructive tactics, Trivedi claimed that the Congress has transformed fundamentally in its political approach. "It is completely clear that Congress has fully become a Maoist-minded Congress, going to any extent of Naxal mindset to generate chaos on the streets of India, to dismantle every constitutional institution, and to act in a completely shameless and shameless manner to create anarchy on the streets of India," he said.
Other BJP Leaders Join the Chorus of Criticism
Meanwhile, BJP leader Anurag Thakur also held a press conference in response to the opposition INDIA bloc's march towards the Supreme Court, seeking judicial intervention over alleged irregularities in the electoral process. Calling LoP Rahul Gandhi a "hawa-hawai" leader and accusing him of making empty statements, levelling baseless allegations and creating "unnecessary ruckus" across the country, Thakur accused Rahul Gandhi of speaking without facts and habitual deflection following electoral defeats. "Rahul Gandhi is the Leader of Opposition, but he doesn't know the real facts. His nature is to create unnecessary ruckus in the nation. Rahul Gandhi is a 'hawa-hawai' leader—everything is zero, just empty talk," Thakur said.
Taking a swipe at Gandhi, Thakur alleged that Gandhi repeatedly targeted different institutions and raised allegations only to later apologise in court. "He repeatedly levels allegations only to later apologise in court; that is his track record. The dust was on his own face, yet he kept wiping the mirror, right up until losing 99 elections. Every season, Rahul Gandhi looks for someone to blame or a scapegoat to target, sometimes the Election Commission, sometimes EVMs, sometimes the Chief Election Commissioner, and sometimes something else. And now, the situation has reached a point where Rahul Gandhi resorts to street-level language and levels baseless allegations," Thakur added.
Earlier, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju lashed out at the opposition leaders, calling the Congress party "directionless" as INDIA bloc leaders continued their march to the Supreme Court to petition against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, demanding action against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. While maintaining that protesting is every citizen's right, Rijiju took to X to state that "brazenly abusing constitutional authorities is deplorable." Escalating his attack on the opposition leadership, he added, "Congress Party is directionless now. But they can improve their numbers if they have a mature and committed leader who doesn't enjoy spending 200 holidays a year."
Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also criticised the Congress party and the Opposition over their "Chalo Dilli – March for Democracy" protest in New Delhi. Speaking to ANI, he termed it an "affront to the democratic system" and accused the Congress of systematically undermining India’s constitutional institutions whenever faced with electoral defeat. "The protest staged by the Opposition in Delhi today is an affront to the democratic system. In a country where elections are held constantly, ranging from Lok Sabha and Assembly elections down to local body polls for Zila Panchayats and Sarpanchs, casting doubt or a slur upon that very system serves as yet another example of the Congress party’s true intent," he said.
The Union Minister accused the primary opposition party of habitually challenging the credibility of crucial national bodies, including the armed forces, judicial leadership, and autonomous electoral institutions, whenever political narratives do not align in their favour. Scindia further urged the Opposition to engage in introspection rather than institutional blame. He advised the Congress party to align its political strategy with national developmental goals instead of blocking administrative progress.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan argued that the blame for these electoral setbacks lies squarely with the party's own internal failings rather than external entities. "The reason for Congress's defeat is not the Election Commission; the reason for Congress's defeat is Congress's own idea-less leadership. What is the current state of the Congress? There is infighting in Uttar Pradesh. In Punjab, they have had to change the state president. In different places, there are conflicts over leadership. In Karnataka, sometimes it's Siddaramaiah, sometimes it's D.K. Shivakumar. In Telangana, there is internal conflict."
Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy asked whether the party was following the appropriate protocol and accused it of attempting to damage the country's democratic system. “To meet the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, how can they seek an appointment with the CJI for these kinds of political issues? What is going on in Congress? They should know the protocol, whether they know it or not. How can they separately seek an appointment with the CJI? What is the issue? Are they trying to disturb the country?” Kumaraswamy said.
On the same lines, Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh accused opposition leaders of orchestrating a "street drama" in an attempt to cover their bad policies by triggering nationwide chaos and attacking constitutional bodies. "What kind of drama are they trying to pull by protesting at the Supreme Court? Attacking all the constitutional institutions. They're trying to cover up their bad policies. Is that ever possible? Sometimes it's the Election Commission, sometimes it's the Supreme Court. This is all an attempt to create chaos," he said. He termed the Leader of the Opposition "immature." Union Minister Singh said that he is acting like a "street-smart" leader trying to generate temporary noise. "He is completely immature. He has absolutely nothing to do with maturity. The way a street-smart leader who makes a lot of noise on the street thinks he's hit the mark, but he hasn't. What kind of competition are you going to put up against PM Modi?" he questioned.
Furthermore, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis backed the apex court's stance, emphasising that grievances must be addressed strictly through legal procedures rather than street agitations. Drawing a sharp historical parallel, the senior BJP leader invoked the 1975 Emergency imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, accusing the Congress party of having a track record of undermining constitutional values. "Rahul Gandhi ji, this Constitution was authored by Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Your grandmother also attempted to dismantle it. In 1975, your grandmother—through Parliament—enacted an amendment effectively barring citizens from approaching the courts to enforce their fundamental rights, which were the most significant provision introduced by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar," Fadnavis said.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC accused the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Shiv Sena (UBT) of orchestrating signature campaigns to protect fraudulent votes under the guise of opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. "The MNS and the Shiv Sena UBT are upset as SIR is a cleansing process, not vote theft. The signature campaign they are running is actually an attempt to save bogus votes. When the Supreme Court itself has stated that the matter is sub judice, you need someone to blame when you face defeat in the BMC elections. From that perspective, you are running a bogus vote campaign disguised as a signature campaign to protect your political interests," she said.
BJP MP Janardan Singh Sigriwal rejected the opposition’s allegations against the ECI, saying that attacking autonomous constitutional institutions stems from frustration. "The opposition wants to spread an atmosphere of anarchy across the country... These are the very people who, during their time in power, ruined the country, looted it, and exploited it in various ways. What used to happen back then? How many scams took place? The allegations that these perpetrators of scams are now levelling against constitutional institutions are baseless, and the people of the country will never forgive them. The Election Commission is a constitutional body. Their attempt to weaken this constitutional institution will not succeed," he said.
Moreover, Uttar Pradesh Minister Dharampal Singh asserted that the opposition’s protests are a desperate bid to mask their dwindling political footprint and the removal of bogus voters from electoral rolls. "Raising issues concerning the public is the opposition's job, but the opposition is unaware of such issues. The ground is slipping from under the opposition's feet because they lack votes; the public understands their true nature. Fake votes are being removed, and since they (the opposition) do not have genuine votes, they are making baseless allegations against the Election Commission. In 2027, a government with a massive majority (the BJP) will be formed in Uttar Pradesh," he said.
Details of the Opposition's Petition
The remarks came after Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, along with other INDIA bloc leaders, moved the Supreme Court against the Election Commission of India. In their plea, the opposition bloc has impleaded Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, alongside the ECI. The specific grounds sought in the plea are yet to be disclosed by the petitioners.
The Opposition leaders seek disclosure of the EC’s complete files, agendas, minutes, notings and objections concerning the disputed decisions, including the June 24, 2025 decision to commence the SIR, as well as ECINET and ERONET access logs. Petitioners include Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saugata Roy, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, CPI(M) MP MA Baby, CPI leader D Raja, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MP Mahua Majhi, NCP (SCP) MP Supriya Sule and ET Indian Union Muslim League Mohammed Basheer. (ANI)
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