News Desk: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday accused the Congress of attempting to destabilise the government through protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Speaking at a press conference in Lucknow, Singh alleged that the party was seeking “regime change” through violence rather than raising concerns about electoral reforms.
Singh claimed that the Congress-led protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls were not merely about voter lists but represented an attempt to weaken independent institutions. He also accused the opposition party of trying to undermine democracy by targeting the Election Commission.
“Congress wants to follow the Bangladesh model of violence for regime change,” Singh said, alleging that the protests were aimed at toppling the government. His remarks came amid continuing demonstrations by the Congress and other groups over the functioning of the Election Commission and the ongoing SIR exercise.
The defence minister also criticised the Congress’s record in dealing with the Election Commission when it was in power. He alleged that the party had attempted to influence the institution and turn it into a “puppet”.
Referring to developments in 1993, Singh claimed that the Congress made changes within the Election Commission despite objections raised by the then Chief Election Commissioner. He cited the appointment of Naveen Chawla, who later became Chief Election Commissioner, as part of his argument.
Singh further referred to the introduction of voter identity cards in India, arguing that electoral identification had become an important part of the voting process. He also made a political claim linking the introduction of voter ID cards to the Congress’s subsequent electoral performance.
Targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Singh said democracy did not give anyone the right to resort to violence. He accused the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha of pursuing what he described as the “politics of disruption”.
The remarks come amid heightened political tensions over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and allegations concerning the Election Commission’s functioning. Opposition parties have raised concerns about the revision process, while the government and its leaders have defended the need to maintain the integrity of electoral institutions.
Singh’s comments add to the ongoing political confrontation between the BJP and the Congress over electoral reforms, institutional independence and the nature of protests against the Chief Election Commissioner.
The allegations made by Singh reflect the government’s position in the dispute. The broader controversy continues to centre on the SIR process, the Election Commission’s role and the competing claims made by political parties.
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