Congress leader Ashok Gehlot addresses a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday (October 10, 2026) accused the BJP of trying to discredit the opposition for raising questions over the Election Commission.

He condemned BJP national president Nitin Nabin’s remarks about dealing strictly with protesters and alleged that the BJP and RSS were portraying opposition protests as attempts to destabilise the country.

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Mr. Gehlot alleged that instead of answering questions raised by the opposition over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Mr. Nabin was acting as a lawyer of the Election Commission.

“Rattled by questions, BJP National President Shri Nitin Nabin is now having to act as the Election Commission’s lawyer,” Mr. Gehlot said in a post on X.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Gehlot questioned mr. Nabin’s remarks about dealing strictly with those staging protests.

“Deal strictly with whom? The people of this country? Is it appropriate to use such language against people holding protests in a democracy? Is it right to threaten them?” he asked.

Condemning the language used by the BJP president, Mr. Gehlot alleged he could not have made such remarks without instructions from Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“When the president of the ruling party uses language as if he were a Minister or the Home Minister, it means he has received instructions from the government on what to say at the press conference,” Mr. Gehlot alleged.

The Congress leader said the BJP itself had organised street protests when it was in the opposition, but the Congress had never accused it of acting at the behest of foreign forces.

“We always respected the Opposition. But look at the attitude of the BJP, RSS and the Election Commission,” he said.

Mr. Gehlot alleged that the SIR exercise was carried out with the involvement of all three and claimed that there was no answer to questions about the deletion of votes.

“That is why Nitin Nabin has to come to their defence and has started making allegations against the opposition,” he said.

Earlier, in his post on X, Mr. Gehlot alleged that the BJP and RSS did not believe in democracy and were portraying opposition protests as attempts to destabilise the country.

“The BJP itself took to the streets when it was in the opposition. Which foreign forces were involved then, and which are involved now?” he asked.

Mr. Gehlot said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had undertaken the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir to unite the country and it was shameful that the BJP was questioning his intentions.

He alleged that Mr. Gandhi was not allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was denied an opportunity to speak in the Rajya Sabha.

Mr. Gehlot also accused the government of preventing opposition MPs from marching to the Election Commission and Jantar Mantar.

He claimed that Delhi had been turned into a fortress, with 75 trains cancelled, entry gates at 57 metro stations closed, internet services suspended in large parts of New Delhi and even school examinations cancelled.

The former Chief Minister alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were avoiding questions raised by the opposition.

“When the opposition is branded ‘Urban Naxals’ or accused of acting at the behest of ‘foreign forces’ every time it raises a question, it is clear the government has run out of answers to the people’s concerns,” he said.

Mr. Gehlot also accused the BJP-led central government of yielding to foreign pressure, while referring to statements by US President Donald Trump, tariffs imposed on India and visa policies.

“In a democracy, asking questions and staging protests are the fundamental rights of the opposition, not crimes,” he said.

Published – October 10, 2026 09:16 pm IST