BJP attacks INDIA bloc over SIR row; claims alliance is ‘fragmented’

Shivraj Singh Chauhan. File. | Photo credit: Sushil Kumar Verma

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday (September 30, 2026) attacked the Congress and its allies, alleging that they are spreading misinformation and undermining democratic institutions. The BJP advocated for the verification of the voter list and also mocked the absence of some alliance partners at the meeting of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc on the Special Intensive Review (SIR) issue.

Also Read: INDIA Bloc Meeting LIVE Updates

Addressing a press conference, Union Minister and senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that after defeating the Congress in one election after another, the Congress should have done introspection. “If they win, they praise democracy, if they lose, they condemn the Election Commission. This is their frustration at defeat,” he said.

“Congress has decided that it will not improve. Be it Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge ji or Rahul Gandhi ji, instead of apologizing for their mistakes, they are spreading confusion. They are lying and creating trumped-up allegations,” Mr. Chouhan said.

Referring to the INDIA bloc meeting, he said, “Even before the meeting, the alliance fell apart.” He raised questions over the absence of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president MK Stalin and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren joined the meeting virtually.

Mr. Chouhan claimed that the opposition alliance had largely fractured and its constituents had gone their separate ways. “The truth is that the INDI alliance is not ready to accept Rahul Gandhi as its leader… even the Congress itself does not believe in him,” he claimed.

The Union minister said that out of frustration, the Congress and its allies were “pre-excusing defeat in the upcoming elections”. “The program from October 2 to 8 has been announced: March to Save Democracy. This is not a March to Save Democracy, but a March to Save the Dynasty, to save the family campaign… but the people have decided not to allow dynastic politics to continue,” he said.

“Rahul ji had already stated before the West Bengal elections that BJP won because of Mamata Banerjee’s mistakes,” Mr. Chouhan alleged, asking why SIR was later quoted.

“Whenever elections are coming, INDIA block, Rahul ji, Kharge ji either start politicizing courts or constitutional institutions…If some court doesn’t decide according to their wish, they question judiciary. They go to foreign soil and advocate foreign powers to interfere in Indian democracy… even though they have done all they could, when they couldn’t remove Modiji, they again spread to democratic country and again spread to democratic country and conspire. alleged.

“A clean electoral roll is the soul of democracy. Why should the name of a person who is no longer living be in the electoral roll? If someone lives in two places, in a city and in a village, why should his name not be removed from one place? If someone is not even a citizen of the country, why should his name be in the electoral roll?” asked Mr. Chouhan.

Published – 30 Sep 2026 16:38 IST