Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (NJC)
Mangaluru, Nov 6: BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia challenged the Congress over its opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, questioning whether Kerala chief minister V D Satheesan should resign if the party considers the SIR process unconstitutional, given that the election in the state was held following the exercise.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP office in Mangaluru on Friday, Bhatia accused Rahul Gandhi and opposition leaders of joining hands with foreign forces to create unrest in the country, alleging that they were unable to tolerate India's development and stability.
Questioning the Congress's stand, he said that if the SIR process was indeed unconstitutional, the Kerala Chief Minister should relinquish his position on moral grounds, as the electoral process had taken place following the revision.
Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi and opposition leaders, Bhatia said they carried copies of the Constitution but had failed to understand its fundamental principles. He said the BJP's motto was to "protect democracy and eliminate anarchy", while the opposition's alleged agenda was to spread unrest and undermine democracy.
He further alleged that opposition parties were attempting to bring about a systematic change of government in India, similar to the political upheavals witnessed in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Referring to statements made by Jharkhand Minister Irfan Ansari, Bhatia accused Rahul Gandhi and those associated with him of joining hands with foreign-funded individuals and organisations, including George Soros and Jeremy Corbyn, as well as Pakistan, to obstruct India's development.
Bhatia said the BJP opposed any attempt to create unrest in the country and maintained that peace and respect for the rule of law were inherent values of Indian society. He also criticised Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge for allegedly making provocative statements against the Prime Minister, Home Minister, Election Commission and even Supreme Court judges.
Defending the SIR exercise, Bhatia said electoral roll revisions had been conducted 12 times in the country in the past. Citing Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, he said the Election Commission was legally empowered to revise electoral rolls and remove names of ineligible voters, deceased persons, those who had shifted residence and individuals registered in multiple constituencies.
He also referred to the Supreme Court's observations on the SIR exercise in Bihar, stating that the court had not stayed the process and had recognised the Election Commission's authority to conduct the revision. Questioning Rahul Gandhi's criticism of the exercise, he challenged him to first understand the constitutional provisions before engaging in a debate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Providing details of the voter deletions, Bhatia claimed that approximately 13 crore names had been removed through the SIR exercise. Of these, around 6.30 crore were people who had permanently shifted their residences, three crore were unavailable at their registered addresses during verification, 2.80 crore were deceased voters and one crore were duplicate entries. He questioned what was wrong with identifying and removing such ineligible entries from electoral rolls.
He further said that the Constitution guaranteed voting rights exclusively to Indian citizens and that illegal foreign immigrants could not be allowed to exercise the same rights. Identifying and removing ineligible foreign nationals from electoral rolls was essential from the perspectives of national security and sovereignty, he added.
Targeting the Congress over its electoral performance, Bhatia claimed that the party had lost 56 Assembly elections between 2014 and 2025, even before the commencement of the current SIR exercise. He said that since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, the Congress had failed to retain power in any state for two consecutive terms. Instead of blaming Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) or the Election Commission for its electoral defeats, the party leadership should introspect, he said.
Accusing the Congress of weakening public confidence in constitutional institutions through baseless allegations against the Election Commission, Bhatia said the BJP would present facts before the people to safeguard the Constitution and the country's electoral system.
He added that the BJP was conducting press conferences across the country as part of its 'Save Democracy, Eliminate Anarchy' campaign to counter what it described as attempts to undermine democratic institutions.
MP Brijesh Chowta, MLA Kishore Kumar Puttur, former MLC Captain Ganesh Karnik, district BJP president Satish Kumpala, Premananda Shetty, Yatish Arwar, Bharathish, Vasanth Poojary and Prasanna Darbhe were present.