Guwahati, Oct 12: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday announced peaceful rallies at district headquarters across the state from October 13 to 31, accusing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of undermining constitutional institutions through his criticism of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
In a post on X, CM Sarma said the BJP’s Assam unit would organise the rallies to counter what he described as the Congress’ attempts to pressure constitutional institutions and undermine the democratic mandate. The announcement came as Gandhi prepared to lead an INDIA bloc march in New Delhi against the functioning of the poll panel, with the protesters planning to march from Connaught Place towards the Supreme Court.
CM Sarma accused the Congress of adopting double standards on electoral outcomes, alleging that the party accepted democratic processes when it won elections but questioned their credibility after defeats. “Rahul Gandhi and his Congress party are mounting an attack on the very foundations of India’s vibrant democracy.
Their double standard is plain to see. When Shri @narendramodi Ji is elected Prime Minister, Rahul Gandhi calls it manipulation, yet his own election to Parliament and his subsequent elevation as Leader of the Opposition is beyond question,” CM Sarma wrote on X “When Assam votes, the result is unacceptable, when Kerala votes, it is welcomed. Democracy, for the Congress, is valid only when it delivers victory for the Congress,” the CM further said.
He also criticised Gandhi’s decision to pursue the matter after the Chief Justice of India declined a request for a meeting with opposition MPs, alleging that the Congress party was attempting to exert political pressure on the judiciary. The Chief Minister said the rallies would highlight the Congress’ opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which he claimed was aimed at protecting illegal infiltrators.
CM Sarma said that through these rallies, they will alert people to the Congress party’s attempts to “blackmail our constitutional institutions”; “shield illegal infiltrators by opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)” and “undermine the democratic mandate of the people”.
He also reiterated the BJP’s support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed India by 2047. “The people’s mandate deserves respect. Our institutions deserve independence. Neither can be held hostage to political convenience, he said.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi urged opposition parties, students and civil society groups to join the Delhi march, describing it as a movement to defend democracy and demand accountability from the ECI. Congress MPs Imran Masood and Jebi Mather said the protest sought to mobilise citizens beyond party lines. Mather alleged that security restrictions in central Delhi were intended to discourage participation.
Security was tightened across the national capital, with barricades and personnel deployed at several locations. Authorities also ordered the temporary closure of entry and exit at six metro stations until 4 p.m. The confrontation follows Gandhi’s allegations of violence against students and women during a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, deepening the political dispute over electoral transparency and institutional accountability.
IANS