Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, criticized opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday for casting doubt on the Election Commission of India (ECI). Fadnavis accused Gandhi of attempting to create disorder and undermine public confidence in important national institutions with his repeated questioning during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
“He seems to be trying to stir up chaos,” Fadnavis said, firmly stating that the allegations of vote theft made by Gandhi are unfounded. “Let me be clear: no votes were stolen; it’s Rahul Gandhi’s mind that seems lost,” he added, suggesting that the Prime Minister should consider forming a committee to help bring Gandhi back to reality.
Fadnavis went on to express his concern over Gandhi’s attempts to undermine key constitutional bodies, including the Supreme Court, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). “It appears he wants the people to think that our democratic system can’t deliver justice,” he noted, questioning whether the structures put in place by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar are really that fragile.
The Chief Minister specifically addressed a report from a major English newspaper that claimed there were internal conflicts within the ECI. He asserted that the decisions regarding the SIR had always been made unanimously by the Commission. He also highlighted a recent letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary, mentioning that the ECI had already clarified that the letter was unrelated to any policy issues. “Despite this, Gandhi continues to mislead the public,” Fadnavis stated.
He reiterated the ECI’s position that all three election commissioners confirmed they made decisions together, and there was no dissent. Regarding the concerns raised by NDA allies, like Chirag Paswan from the Lok Janshakti Party and Chandrababu Naidu from the Telugu Desam Party, Fadnavis explained that it is only normal for the election body to respond to ongoing criticisms.
“Gandhi’s approach is simple: if you can’t persuade the public, confuse them,” Fadnavis remarked, adding that Gandhi aims to disrupt the country’s democratic system. He accused Gandhi of adopting a “communist” mindset and trying to erode trust in democratic bodies to pave the way for a leftist agenda.
Fadnavis also pointed out that because people have lost faith in the Congress party, their strategy now seems to be fostering distrust against the entire system. “But this tactic won’t work; the citizens will respond appropriately. The values enshrined in our Constitution will endure, no matter how hard they try to impose communism,” he asserted.
Looking ahead, Fadnavis dismissed plans for a protest by opposition parties like the Shiv Sena (UBT), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), NCP, and Congress over alleged irregularities in the SIR process. He cited the West Bengal elections as an example, where voter turnout declined in several constituencies due to the SIR, yet the Trinamool Congress still emerged victorious in those areas.
