On Monday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Sarma posted on X that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress are mounting an attack on the very foundations of India’s democracy.
Sarma accused the opposition of double standards, noting that while Gandhi calls Prime Minister Modi’s election "manipulation," his own parliamentary seat and elevation to Leader of the Opposition are unquestioned.
He announced a protest programme that will see peaceful mass rallies at every district headquarters from tomorrow until 31 October, warning that the Congress seeks to blackmail constitutional institutions and shield illegal infiltrators by opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Meanwhile, thousands gathered in Delhi’s central square on Monday as Rahul Gandhi’s camp marched to the Supreme Court to challenge Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged voter deletions under the SIR exercise.
The petition filed seeks intervention in the Election Commission’s functioning, and the Supreme Court is set to hear the case tomorrow, while Sarma’s rallies aim to reaffirm support for Prime Minister Modi’s vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Both sides now face a political showdown, with Assam’s electorate poised to decide whether the protest will force a review of the SIR and the broader democratic process.