India
Fadnavis Blames Congress for ‘Constitutional Theft’ Amid SIR Roll‑Revision Protest
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accused Congress MP Rahul Gandhi of attempting to undermine the Constitution during a Mahayuti rally in Thane on Sunday. Speaking to supporters, Fadnavis recalled the 1975 Emergency, stating that Indira Gandhi’s government had amended the Constitution to strip powers from the Supreme Court and curtail fundamental rights. He said the Janata Party restored those powers in 1977 and warned that Rahul Gandhi was repeating the same actions. The CM alleged that Congress was trying to diminish constitutional institutions and quietly change the Constitution, and that the party was part of a larger conspiracy backed by foreign funding, especially from China, to create political anarchy.
Fadnavis also defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, saying the opposition was protesting the removal of names of deceased voters and alleged infiltrators. He challenged Congress to explain its opposition to deleting the names of 2.5 crore deceased voters and noted that the SIR exercise had been carried out eight times during Congress rule, with parties now allowed to appoint booth‑level agents to flag discrepancies.
The Mahayuti rally, which included leaders from the ruling BJP, Shiv Sena and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, also featured a ‘Save Democracy’ foot march to counter an opposition rally in Delhi.
The article was written by Surendra P. Gangan, Associate Editor, Mumbai Edition, Hindustan Times.
Frequently asked questions
What did Fadnavis accuse Rahul Gandhi of?
He accused Rahul Gandhi of attempting to undermine the Constitution by quietly changing it, repeating actions from the 1975 Emergency.
How many times has the SIR exercise been carried out during Congress rule?
The SIR exercise had been carried out eight times during Congress rule.
How many deceased voters were removed from the electoral rolls in the SIR?
The SIR removed the names of 2.5 crore deceased voters.