JP Nadda targets Rahul Gandhi over ECI row, accuses opposition of ‘confusion’

Union minister JP Nadda on Monday hit out at the Congress and the broader INDIA bloc over allegations against the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing opposition leaders of attempting to create confusion and “vitiate the atmosphere” in the country.


Nadda said the opposition was frustrated by India’s progress and alleged that, lacking “intent and vision”, its leaders were using allegations against autonomous and constitutional institutions to disrupt the country’s development.


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“We all witnessed the uproar created nationwide just a few days ago over a fabricated story. Now, even after the Election Commission has exposed every lie they propagated, they are once again attempting to vitiate the atmosphere,” Nadda said.

The Election Commission has rejected reports of internal dissent over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, saying that differing views, observations and technical suggestions among its members are part of its normal decision-making process. The poll panel has maintained that final decisions are taken unanimously.

Nadda said allegations levelled by opposition leaders had been rejected when tested against facts and claimed that the responses from the Election Commission had addressed the concerns raised against it.

“Now, the Election Commission has exposed all the lies,” Nadda said, while accusing the opposition of continuing to make allegations despite responses from members of the poll panel.

He directly targeted Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, alleging that the two leaders make accusations without adequately addressing public interest.

“Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal make allegations and walk away; they have nothing to do with public interest,” Nadda said.

Taking aim at Gandhi, Nadda added, “Rahul Gandhi, listen carefully: repeating a lie a hundred times does not make it the truth; the truth cannot be defeated.”

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Nadda also named Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee while alleging that the opposition’s politics was increasingly centred on questioning constitutional and autonomous institutions.

He described this as a “toolkit mentality” in which allegations are made, confusion is created and the political atmosphere is disturbed before the issue is abandoned.

“Make allegations, spread confusion, disturb the atmosphere in the country and then run away—this has become their way of functioning,” he said.

Nadda contrasted the BJP’s approach to political power with that of the opposition, saying the party viewed power as a means to serve citizens.

“For BJP, power is a means to serve the interests of 140 crore people,” Nadda said.

He said the BJP’s objective was to serve the country’s citizens and fulfil its commitment to Antyodaya, while alleging that opposition leaders were seeking power for dynastic politics and personal interests.

Nadda said people had understood what he described as the opposition’s “double standards and negative politics” and would respond to attempts to create instability through democratic means.

His remarks come amid an escalating political dispute over the ECI and the SIR exercise. Opposition leaders, including Gandhi, have questioned the poll panel’s functioning, while the BJP and its allies have defended the ECI’s recent clarification.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has separately criticised the Chief Election Commissioner, alleging that he was propagating the BJP’s philosophy and calling for his resignation. Kharge cited a claim by former Kerala chief secretary Jiji Thomson that the CEC had suggested he contest an election on a BJP ticket. The allegation has become part of the wider political dispute over the poll panel’s functioning.

Kharge said, “They will say like this only, but their own people have exposed them, and their own people are telling. Even a Chief Secretary of Kerala says, our CEC himself told him to contest the election. It means that a person who is in the highest position is propagating the BJP’s philosophy, and he has become a BJP worker. So it is clear. There is nothing. He should resign. If he has got any little moral right, he should resign from that post. And afterwards, we have to take action against him, even after resignation.


(With ANI inputs)