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Former Union Minister and BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Thursday criticised the Congress and other opposition parties over their objections to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and allegations concerning electronic voting machines (EVMs), accusing them of questioning constitutional institutions after losing elections.
Speaking to reporters, Thakur also alleged that some opposition leaders received support from foreign interests and accused them of attempting to undermine India's democratic institutions through misinformation and political agitation. Responding to a question about the SIR controversy and opposition leaders' proposed foreign visits, Thakur said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi frequently travelled abroad and alleged that opposition leaders returned with ideas aimed at weakening Indian democracy. When the Congress wins elections in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Jharkhand or other states, the EVMs are fine. When it loses, the EVMs become faulty. Earlier, the Election Commission was acceptable to them; now they question it, he said. Thakur accused the Congress of hypocrisy over electoral processes and cited its past political record to challenge its criticism of democratic institutions. He alleged that the Congress had previously undermined democratic institutions and imposed the Emergency, and questioned the opposition's criticism of the government and the Constitution. On the SIR exercise, Thakur argued that electoral authorities and booth-level representatives had established roles in checking voter lists and addressing discrepancies. He said the process allowed eligible citizens to be enrolled, deceased voters to be removed, duplicate entries to be corrected and voters who had shifted residence to have their registration updated in accordance with the rules. If everything has been done according to the rules, where is the mistake? he asked. Thakur alleged that opposition parties were raising questions about the Election Commission to create a narrative in anticipation of electoral defeats. His remarks came amid continuing political debate over electoral-roll revision and the functioning of election authorities. Thakur claimed that some opposition leaders enjoyed the support of foreign interests, referring to what he called Uncle Sam and Uncle Soros. He alleged that communications and political toolkits were sometimes used to guide opposition messaging and protests. Today, opposition leaders have nothing to say about India, so they speak against the country and run an anti-India agenda, he alleged. He said India's democratic institutions remained strong and argued that political attempts to discredit them would not succeed. Thakur also accused opposition parties of using misinformation, inflammatory language and questions over constitutional institutions to challenge the government. He referred to past election results, including the Samajwadi Party's performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, to argue that opposition parties had accepted electoral outcomes when the results favoured them. He said the opposition's approach was to build a narrative against the Election Commission before elections so that it could blame the institution if it lost. Thakur also defended the BJP and the National Democratic Alliance government's record, citing the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the abrogation of Article 370 and India's economic growth. Responding to a question about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks concerning the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Thakur praised the organisation's contribution to social work and national causes. He alleged that Congress leaders had made objectionable remarks about President Droupadi Murmu, India's first tribal woman President, and accused the party of opposing women's political representation. Thakur questioned why the Congress was not engaging with the government's proposal concerning 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures. Why is the Congress not discussing the reservation bill that seeks to provide 33 per cent reservation to women? he asked, alleging that the party had historically opposed women's interests. The Congress's position on women's reservation and the implementation of the relevant constitutional provisions has been the subject of political debate. Thakur's criticism reflected the BJP's position on the issue. Turning to Himachal Pradesh politics, Thakur said the Congress government was facing dissatisfaction among employees, pensioners, unemployed youth, women, farmers and orchardists. He accused the state government of financial mismanagement and said the BJP expected a decisive mandate in the 2027 Assembly elections. The BJP will win decisively in Himachal Pradesh, with a majority of more than two-thirds, he said. (ANI)
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