BJP MP Anurag Thakur directed pointed criticism at Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha on Monday, characterising him as a "hawa-hawai" figure who, in Thakur's assessment, puts forward unverified allegations and foments unnecessary unrest across the country.
Thakur's comments followed the opposition INDIA bloc's decision to approach the Supreme Court, where the group filed for judicial review over what it described as irregularities in the voting process.
At a press conference held in the capital, the BJP leader contended that Rahul Gandhi — who holds the position of Leader of Opposition — had put forward allegations unsupported by evidence and had directed repeated criticism at constitutional institutions whenever election results went against him. Thakur stated that disputes and public unrest had repeatedly followed in the wake of Gandhi's actions, and characterised Gandhi as a leader whose words carry no substance, amounting to little more than hollow pronouncements.
The former Union Minister, addressing the Congress party's electoral record, remarked that Gandhi had developed a pattern of directing responsibility toward the Election Commission and the government following repeated poll defeats. Thakur contended that Gandhi has a pattern of directing accusations at various institutions, then withdrawing those claims through court apologies — a sequence Thakur described as reflecting Gandhi's established conduct.
Thakur further stated that over the course of 99 electoral contests, Gandhi's tally of defeats had mounted, and that when asked about the pattern, Gandhi pointed to outside circumstances rather than his own performance. Rahul Gandhi has, across multiple election cycles, directed his party's post-result explanations toward a rotating set of institutional targets — including the Election Commission, electronic voting machines, and the Chief Election Commissioner.
Thakur further argued that the situation had worsened to a degree where Gandhi was now resorting to street-level language and advancing claims without any factual basis to support them.
Thakur's comments arrived as opposition groupings aligned under the INDIA bloc stepped up pressure on the Election Commission, calling for action over what they described as partiality and procedural irregularities in the voting process, against a backdrop of heightened political friction in the capital.
Heavy police deployment sealed off stretches of central Delhi before midday, as party workers and opposition representatives travelling under the INDIA bloc alliance converged on routes toward the Supreme Court to demand the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar from his post.
Under the banner of the 'March for Democracy', a column of participants — with Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Akhilesh Yadav positioned near the front — made its way through Barakhamba Road and the Mandi House area of the capital, causing traffic to slow across those stretches. Crowds gathered bearing national flags and hand-held placards, calling out what they described as procedural irregularities in the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls.
Amid the march, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge raised pointed questions about how the poll body operates and called for clarity on the use of forms tied to the electoral registration process. He stated that those queries deserved straightforward answers, adding that the question of which individual gave approval for Form 6 remained unresolved. Questions also arose over the origin of the mass-produced, pre-filled Form 7, and questions about Gyanesh Kumar's availability for comment went unanswered.
Speaking to a broadcast outlet, Priyank Kharge put forward the view that an unfilled leadership post at a constitutional body ought to be subject to public scrutiny and held to account.
Pargat Singh, who leads the Punjab Congress, put forward the view that the BJP has been acting in ways that weaken democratic institutions and insulate the Chief Election Commissioner from scrutiny — a charge he grounded in what he described as the party's pattern of political behaviour. Singh added that the proposal, in his view, targets the foundational structures through which governance and accountability operate.
Prior to any court proceedings, two Election Commissioners had placed on record that 14 decisions were adopted without their knowledge or approval, and that the modification applied to Form 6 had been carried out through a procedurally defective process — a position later reinforced when the Supreme Court noted the absence of any directive from those commissioners authorising the change.
Detractors contended that supporters of Gyanesh Kumar's stance are putting pressure on the institutional pillars that democratic governance depends upon. Rahul Gandhi's stated position on the matter was not detailed in available reporting, though in a public statement he called for the protection of democratic institutions and the broader constitutional framework of the nation. Speaking to a broadcast outlet, he expressed the view that they had no plans to move in that direction.
Among those present on behalf of the INDIA bloc were Mamata Banerjee, who previously served as West Bengal's chief minister, Tejashwi Yadav, who held the deputy chief ministership of Bihar, Akhilesh Yadav, a former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, along with party representatives drawn from both the Communist Party of India and its Marxist counterpart.
