Defence Minister Rajnath Singh directed criticism at the Congress party on Friday over its recent demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the party's objections to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

At a press conference held in Lucknow, Singh claimed that opposition forces were working to destabilise the country with the aim of unseating the government, adding that the Congress party intended to pursue a path of political upheaval through means he likened to the unrest seen in Bangladesh.

Singh contended that the protests were directed neither at Gyanesh Kumar nor at the SIR process, but rather at weakening democratic institutions as a means of toppling the government. He further argued that the party's demonstrations went beyond a dispute over voter registration records, framing them instead as an effort to undermine bodies designed to operate free from political interference.

Singh put forward the position that, throughout the years the Congress party held power, it had kept the Election Commission operating under its influence. Pointing to events from 1993, he contended that the party had restructured the Election Commission without prior notice, stating that Congress had carried out those institutional changes virtually overnight.

Singh also stated that a formal recommendation had been placed before the President of India by the Chief Election Commissioner at the time, calling for the removal of fellow commissioner Naveen Chawla from his post. He added that it was Congress, not any other body, that placed Chawla in the role of Chief Election Commissioner.

The Defence Minister also raised the issue of voter identity cards, asserting that Congress had been unable to form a government without coalition support in every election held after such cards became a requirement. He opened a direct quotation by noting that no voter identity card existed before 1993 and that no mechanism existed to confirm who voters actually were. Singh argued that the introduction of voter ID requirements had prevented his party from winning a parliamentary majority on its own.

Singh also directed pointed remarks at Rahul Gandhi, who holds the positions of Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, over the protests. Singh contended that democratic freedoms stop well short of permitting violence or the disruption of everyday public activity, and characterised Gandhi's approach as one aimed at destabilising rather than engaging through legitimate political channels.

According to Singh, the demonstrations targeting Gyanesh Kumar and the SIR were being directed at democratic institutions rather than at any genuine concerns over voter rolls.