The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday (September 29, 2026) accused the Congress of undermining India’s democratic institutions by attacking the Election Commission over voter roll issues instead of addressing duplicate or deceased voter entries and assessing its electoral setbacks.
“The Congress party that was created to protect the British Empire is today attacking India’s Election Commission by referring to the Lahore Congress Session. Nothing could be more shameful than this,” alleged former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Smriti Irani at a press conference.
The remarks came after the Congress Working Committee (CWC) demanded immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, suspension of the special intensive revision (SIR), restoration of over 13.30 crore names deleted from electoral rolls, and the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Ms. Irani said that in 2019, the Prime Minister had repeatedly asked the Congress to attack him, but not the constitutional institutions and democracy in the country. “However, the Congress leadership is leaving no stone unturned in undermining India’s constitutional institutions,” she alleged.
Stating that the polling authority strengthened the country’s democratic systems, the BJP leader said the constitutional body had been hailed by several countries. “The Congress is unhappy that, within the democratic framework, the people of India do not support it today. Therefore, instead of introspection on its defeats, the Congress is attacking the Election Commission,” she said.
“If someone’s name is duplicated or if the name of a deceased person appears on the electoral roll, why does the Congress party want those names to be restored or continue?” she asked, wondering why the Congress was not raising questions about the States, such as Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala, and Karnataka, where the BJP was not in power.
“The Election Commission has made it clear in its press note that the BLOs (Booth Level Officers) will visit the homes of people who have been issued notices in connection with the SIR, collect documents from their homes, and verify the matter themselves,” said Ms. Irani.
‘Should present facts’
Expressing shock over the Congress leadership recounting the Lahore Congress Session, she said the party should also present before the people facts related to A.O. Hume who had “served as the Secretary of Revenue, Agriculture, and Commerce of the British Empire”. “A.O. Hume…shared a proposal with the Viceroy that if the British Empire was to be protected, the Congress party should be formed; a political organisation should be formed,” she alleged.
Earlier, at another press conference, BJP spokesperson Sidharth Yadav charged the Congress with changing stance on electoral roll cleansing, now opposing measures it previously demanded, for political convenience and to “hide its electoral failures”.
He said that in Andhra Pradesh, the Congress had in 2018 demanded purification of the voter roll, alleging duplicate entries. He cited the 2026 SIR as an example of measures the party had previously sought.
In Telangana, Mr. Yadav said the Congress had alleged discrepancies in the electoral rolls and called for their revision. He referred to a similar instance in Rajasthan.
“In Kerala, the Congress did not merely make allegations, its leader created a website and entered those names, went to the High Court and said that these names must be removed. The SIR took place…,” he said, adding that the Congress won the State Assembly elections in Kerala.
“The Congress officially took a stand praising the SIR [in Kerala]. However, the party keeps changing its stand because of its politics of convenience,” he said, also citing examples from West Bengal, Bihar, Delhi, and Maharashtra.
Published – September 29, 2026 06:23 pm IST
