Bhubaneswar: The ruling BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi on Monday launched a scathing attack on the opposition Congress and Leader of Opposition(LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, accusing them of attempting to undermine democratic institutions and create confusion over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Addressing a press conference in Bhubaneswar, Dr Trivedi said the world has been passing through a period of geopolitical and economic uncertainty, but India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing major economies under the Modi government.
Referring to the World Bank’s 2025 report, he said India has made significant progress in reducing poverty over the past 12–13 years. He said India is making significant advances in artificial intelligence, defence manufacturing and emerging technologies, besides strengthening its internal and external security.
However, he alleged that certain forces, both within and outside the country, are uncomfortable with India’s progress and accused the Opposition of becoming a tool in their hands.
“But the manner in which the Opposition is behaving today gives the impression that it cannot stomach India’s progress and the country’s growing sense of pride. At this juncture, the Congress party itself and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi have become the biggest threats to Indian democracy,” Trivedi alleged.
Citing Congress’s prolonged absence from power in several states, he pointed out that the Congress has not formed a government in Odisha since 2000 and referred to its electoral setbacks in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Nagaland and Sikkim for the last several decades.
These states collectively account for around 230 Lok Sabha seats, he said, questioning how the Congress expected to secure a substantial majority from the remaining constituencies despite its weak electoral presence in these regions.
Explaining the electoral roll revision process, Trivedi said Booth Level Officers (BLOs), appointed through the Election Commission’s administrative machinery, are responsible for carrying out the exercise of adding and deleting names from electoral rolls.
Political parties, he said, appointed Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to monitor the process and raise objections wherever necessary. Citing the presence of around 12 lakh BLOs and 22 lakh BLAs across the country, he questioned why Congress representatives had not raised objections at various stages of the revision process.
He said the revised electoral rolls were shared with political parties at the district level and subsequently taken up at the state and national levels, providing ample opportunities to raise objections.
Trivedi also referred to statements by Congress leaders in Kerala and Karnataka, claiming that some of them have acknowledged the need to remove bogus voter entries through SIR.
Addressing allegations concerning large-scale deletions from electoral rolls, Trivedi cited figures relating to voters who had shifted residences, duplicate entries and those who could not be traced during the revision exercise.
He also criticised the Opposition’s protests, including its actions at All India Radio and demonstrations outside the Prime Minister’s residence and other institutions. He alleged that such actions were aimed at creating political instability and undermining public confidence in constitutional institutions.
Later, Dr Trivedi joined a massive rally in Kolkata at 3 pm under the banner of the “Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy Campaign”. It began after floral tributes were paid to the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at College Square.
(IANS)
