BJP demands Kharge’s apology over ‘illegal’ Modi, Shah remark

The BJP on Sunday demanded an apology from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge after he called Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and chief ministers elected across the country “illegal” while demanding fresh elections through ballot papers.

BJP leaders accused Kharge of disrespecting the electoral mandate and constitutional institutions, while the Congress chief linked his demand to allegations surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the functioning of the Election Commission.

BJP demands apology

BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said Kharge’s remarks amounted to questioning the mandate delivered by voters and demanded that the Congress apologise.

Trivedi pointed to the BJP’s victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, when it became the first non-Congress party to secure a majority on its own at the Centre. He questioned how a government formed through an electoral majority could be described as “illegal”.

He also turned the criticism towards the Congress and questioned the process through which Kharge himself had been elected party president.

Trivedi alleged that Congress leaders had raised questions about access to the electoral college list during the party’s presidential election and sought to use those claims to challenge Kharge’s criticism of the BJP.

Chouhan targets Congress

Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also hit back at the Congress president, saying his remarks amounted to an insult to the country’s voters and constitutional institutions.

Chouhan said questioning the legitimacy of elected governments was disrespectful to the “democratic wisdom” of the electorate. He accused the Congress of attacking the Election Commission, electronic voting machines and the electoral mandate whenever it faced political setbacks.

The BJP has rejected Opposition allegations of electoral manipulation and maintained that governments formed following elections conducted by the Election Commission derive their authority from the constitutional electoral process.

What Kharge said

The controversy began after Kharge, speaking in Kalaburagi on Saturday, called for the Lok Sabha and all state Assemblies to be dissolved and fresh elections conducted using ballot papers.

“Today, the entire country is being run on illegal elections. Modi is an illegal Prime Minister, Shah is an illegal minister, and all the chief ministers who have been elected anywhere are illegal,” Kharge said.

He demanded that the elected Houses be dissolved and fresh elections held.

Kharge also alleged misuse of electronic voting machines and raised questions about changes to electoral rolls under the ongoing SIR exercise. These are allegations made by the Congress, and no judicial finding has established that the elections cited by Kharge were illegal.

SIR at centre of row

Kharge said the Opposition’s objections were linked to alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls. He claimed that deletion of voters from individual booths could materially affect election results and alleged that economically and socially vulnerable voters were particularly affected.

The Election Commission has rejected allegations that the SIR is designed to manipulate elections and has maintained that the revision process is intended to ensure accurate electoral rolls by removing ineligible entries while retaining and enrolling eligible voters.

Kharge said representatives of 20 parties and their legal teams had discussed the issue at an INDIA bloc meeting on September 30 and that Opposition parties would continue their agitation.

Ballot papers demanded

The Congress president also renewed his demand for a return to ballot papers, alleging that electronic voting machines were being misused.

The Election Commission has repeatedly defended EVMs and rejected allegations that the machines can be manipulated to favour a political party. Courts have also dealt with challenges concerning EVMs over the years, while declining demands for a general return to paper ballots.

Kharge said Opposition parties would continue holding demonstrations over the SIR and the functioning of the Election Commission.

Political confrontation widens

The exchange comes as Opposition parties intensify protests over the electoral-roll revision and demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Congress leaders have accused the government and the Election Commission of undermining the integrity of the electoral process, allegations rejected by both the BJP and the poll panel.

The BJP’s response to Kharge has now widened that confrontation, shifting the focus from disputes over electoral rolls to the Congress president’s assertion that elected governments themselves lack legitimacy. The row is expected to remain at the centre of the Opposition’s planned protests over the Election Commission and SIR.