BJP steps up attacks on Rahul Gandhi over Election Commission protests and police clash

Senior BJP leaders have launched a sharp, coordinated offensive against Rahul Gandhi, accusing the opposition leader of holding an "anarchist mindset" and behaving inappropriately with a female officer during street protests in Delhi.

Speaking in Varanasi, BJP national president Nitin Nabin claimed the Congress leader was trying to spread poison in society by targeting the Election Commission of India. Nabin questioned why Gandhi was challenging the commission's legitimacy now, when the same body had overseen elections that brought opposition coalitions to power in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

"If Rahul Gandhi has the courage, he should first resign," Nabin said, adding that the public is watching "the manner in which he is playing this game." He also accused the leader of the opposition of protecting foreign infiltrators at the expense of Indian citizens.

Police clash leads to political row

The political row escalated further over an alleged physical altercation during Wednesday's demonstrations, which saw Gandhi and several other opposition MPs detained by Delhi Police near Jantar Mantar.

In Chennai, BJP spokesperson C R Kesavan accused Gandhi of indecent behaviour during the scramble. Kesavan questioned how a member of parliament and leader of the opposition could behave in such an inappropriate manner with a female police officer, demanding that the Congress leader issue an apology.

"Rahul Gandhi has the audacity to lecture about smashing the patriarchy, but on the other hand, he engages in such indecent behaviour," Kesavan said.

Following the Wednesday protests, police registered three fresh first information reports (FIRs) against Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and other opposition figures over alleged assaults on police personnel.

Why are the opposition protesting?

The protests are centred on a demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign. The opposition's campaign was triggered by a report in The Indian Express which revealed that two election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had recorded at least 14 formal objections to decisions concerning the Special Intensive Revision process over the past 10 months.

Under pressure over the internal dissent, the Election Commission has defended its processes. The commission stated that differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberations in any public institution, and insisted that all its decisions have full legal sanction.

Despite the legal backlash and the BJP's criticism, opposition demonstrations are expected to continue. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hosted a lunch for INDIA bloc leaders in Delhi on Thursday afternoon, with further protests planned to demand the Chief Election Commissioner's removal.