VARANASI (UP), Oct 8: BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Thursday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of having an “anarchist mindset” and alleged that his campaign against the Election Commission was aimed at creating distrust and division in society.
Nabin’s remarks came a day after Gandhi led INDIA bloc leaders in street protests against the Election Commission. Gandhi and several Opposition MPs were subsequently detained by police during the demonstration.
“If he had such objections, elections in Kerala were also conducted by the same Election Commission. The election in Tamil Nadu, where they have come to power, was also conducted by the same Election Commission,” Nabin said.
He challenged Gandhi to resign if he had lost faith in the electoral system, saying voters were observing the Congress leader’s actions.
Nabin also criticised Gandhi over the Opposition’s concerns regarding alleged irregularities in the electoral process. The Congress has been seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar following a report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on several occasions over the past 10 months to decisions and orders, many of them linked to the Special Intensive Revision exercise.
The Election Commission has defended its functioning, saying differences of opinion and observations are part of institutional deliberations. It has maintained that its decisions have full legal validity and are taken in accordance with statutory procedures.
The BJP president also accused Gandhi and the Opposition of supporting infiltrators and said India’s resources, land and wealth should remain available to its citizens.
“Those who come to India from different places and deprive the people of their rights are being opposed,” Nabin said, adding that the BJP would oppose attempts to settle people in the country with what he described as a “foreign mindset”.
Earlier, Nabin visited the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi and offered prayers. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the development of the temple corridor.
Nabin said the project had transformed an important religious site and gave it a new and grand form. He congratulated Modi and Adityanath for the redevelopment work at the temple.
On the BJP’s preparations for upcoming elections, Nabin said the party’s organisational activities continue throughout the year rather than being limited to election periods.
“A BJP worker works 24×7. For us, every day is a working day and every day is an election day,” he said.
He added that the party maintains regular programmes, communication and outreach among voters even when elections are not immediately due.
Nabin’s comments come amid an intensifying political confrontation between the BJP and Congress over the functioning of the Election Commission and the electoral process. The Opposition has continued to raise questions over the Special Intensive Revision exercise, while the ruling party has rejected the allegations.
The dispute has emerged as a major political issue, with Congress leaders seeking greater accountability from the poll panel and the BJP defending the constitutional institution.
The latest exchange between the two parties is expected to keep the controversy over electoral rolls and the Election Commission’s functioning at the centre of political debate.