Kharge Accuses BJP of Stifling Dissent, Vows People Will Resist 'Oppressive' Policies

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of promoting “authoritarianism”, alleging that the government was curbing the right to protest and undermining voters’ rights. “First, vote theft, followed by the ‘theft of the right to protest’—this reflects the BJP’s authoritarian approach,” Kharge said, referring to the removal of Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest venues.

He asserted that people would no longer submit to what he described as the “oppressive policies” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Kharge also said the BJP would be held accountable for its actions. The Congress leader further alleged that people questioning the government faced imprisonment, young demonstrators were subjected to baton charges, and women protesters experienced police brutality. He also accused authorities of allowing members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to act with impunity.

Kharge’s remarks came amid protests in Delhi organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and other political groups over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. On October 10, Delhi Police reportedly deployed around 41,000 personnel and detained nearly 7,000 people. Authorities also barricaded Jantar Mantar and imposed access restrictions at 45 Metro stations, according to the report.

The issue subsequently reached the Supreme Court, with petitions challenging restrictions on demonstrations and the detention of protesters and journalists. Kharge also criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his reported description of 133 million people excluded during the SIR exercise as “infiltrators”. Calling the remark an affront to Indian identity, Kharge said that labelling 13.3 crore Indians in this manner was an insult to the country’s sense of Indianness.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Hindustan Times.