Lucknow, Oct 2026 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday launched a sharp attack on the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, accusing them of attempting to create political instability in the country under the pretext of protecting democracy. He alleged that the opposition party’s actions were aimed at weakening democratic and constitutional institutions for political gain.
Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Singh referred to recent incidents in Delhi and questioned the Congress’s approach to political protests. He alleged that the party was attempting to divert the energy of young people away from national development and channel it towards activities that could lead to disorder.
“Incidents that have occurred in Delhi in recent days raise serious questions. It appears that Congress leaders are trying to prevent the energy of the youth from contributing to the nation’s progress and are instead attempting to turn it into a means of creating anarchy,” Singh said.
The Defence Minister also drew a comparison with political developments in Bangladesh, claiming that Congress leaders had spoken about bringing down the government and referred to the neighbouring country as an inspiration. He argued that such statements indicated an attempt to destabilise the government rather than strengthen democratic processes.
Singh said the use of expressions such as “regime change” showed, in his assessment, that the Congress’s campaign was not primarily about the Election Commission, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls or Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
According to Singh, the opposition’s actions were instead driven by a desire to return to power. He accused the party of placing political interests above national priorities and said democratic debate should be based on facts rather than what he described as obstinacy and malicious propaganda.
“Rahul Gandhi and his supporters must understand that democracy is not a licence to create anarchy, damage constitutional institutions or obstruct India’s progress,” Singh said.
He maintained that respect for the law and constitutional institutions was essential to maintaining public order. Political disagreements, he argued, should be pursued within the framework of democratic processes rather than through actions that could undermine institutional credibility.
Singh directly advised Rahul Gandhi to respect the people’s mandate and reflect on his political role instead of organising disruptions in the name of defending democracy. He said the country’s future was a shared responsibility and called for political conduct that prioritised national interests.
The Defence Minister also invoked historical events to accuse the Congress of having a record of undermining democratic values. He referred to the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975, the anti-Sikh violence of 1984 and the killing of kar sevaks in 1990.
Singh described these episodes as examples of what he considers the party’s failures in upholding constitutional principles. He also accused the Congress of continuing to weaken democratic institutions through its present-day political activities.
“Indira Gandhi put democracy behind bars in 1975, and today Rahul Gandhi is trying to create anarchy while carrying the Constitution in his pocket,” Singh said, criticising what he portrayed as a contradiction between the Congress leader’s public defence of the Constitution and his political approach.
Singh further raised questions about the Congress’s past handling of the Election Commission, citing events in 1993 when two Election Commissioners were appointed and a dispute emerged between then Chief Election Commissioner T. N. Seshan and Election Commissioner Naveen Chawla.
According to Singh, Seshan had written to the President seeking Chawla’s removal, alleging that confidential information from the Election Commission had been shared with Congress leaders. Singh claimed that the Congress subsequently defended Chawla and that he was later appointed Chief Election Commissioner.
The Defence Minister cited the episode to support his allegation that the Congress had sought to influence the functioning of an independent constitutional body for political purposes.
Singh’s remarks come amid continuing political disagreements over electoral processes, the Election Commission and the role of constitutional institutions. His statements reflect the BJP’s criticism of the Congress’s approach to these issues, while the allegations about the opposition’s motives remain Singh’s political claims.
The press conference centred on the broader debate over democratic accountability, electoral integrity and the conduct of political parties. Singh called on the Congress leadership to respect constitutional institutions and the people’s mandate, while insisting that the protection of democracy must not be used as a justification for political disorder.
