Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Sunday, 27 September, launched a sharp attack on Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and the Indian National Congress, accusing them of engaging in anti-national conduct in the wake of repeated electoral defeats. The remarks came in response to the Election Commission of India (ECI)'s clarification on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which has become the latest flashpoint between the ruling dispensation and the Opposition.

Sai's Allegations at Press Conference

Addressing a press conference in Raipur, Chief Minister Sai said it was deeply unfortunate that the Congress, having lost elections more than a hundred times, was now — out of what he described as sheer frustration — discrediting constitutional institutions and tarnishing India's image through what he called 'a politics of constant lies and deception.'

Sai pointed to the joint press conference convened by the Chief Election Commissioner and the other two Election Commissioners, arguing it had categorically demonstrated there was no internal discord within the Commission. He characterised all Congress claims to the contrary as not merely baseless, but as part of a 'deliberate conspiracy' by Gandhi to damage the country's reputation and weaken its constitutional framework.

ECI's Joint Statement at the Centre of the Row

The Election Commission of India's joint press note, Sai said, had clarified the entire situation surrounding the SIR process. He drew a broader pattern, arguing that whenever Congress and its allies face electoral defeat, they resort to false allegations — 'sometimes against EVMs, sometimes against constitutional institutions, and at other times against the Election Commission itself.'

Notably, the SIR controversy has triggered fresh accusations from the Opposition that the electoral roll revision process is being weaponised ahead of upcoming state elections — allegations the Commission has denied. This is the latest in a series of confrontations between Congress and the ECI that have intensified since the 2024 general elections.

Sai Demands Unconditional Apology

Following what he described as the Commission's 'comprehensive and unanimous statement,' Sai demanded that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress offer an unconditional apology to the nation and its constitutional institutions. He stressed that the Election Commission of India enjoys global credibility, and that questioning its impartiality was a clear sign of the Opposition's desperation. The joint statement, he added, had 'once again separated fact from fiction and exposed the Congress's reliance on lies, sensationalism and confusion.'

Congress Hits Back: 'Phobia of the Name Gandhi'

State Congress In-charge and Member of Parliament Sukhdeo Bhagat pushed back sharply. 'I believe that sometimes a right question might get a wrong answer, but if someone asks a wrong question, how can we give a right answer to it?' Bhagat said, responding to Sai's remarks.

Bhagat further alleged that those targeting the Gandhi family had never stood with the nation during the freedom struggle, did not accept the Constitution, and did not hoist the national flag. 'When such people talk about patriotism and target the Gandhi family, it is clear they have developed a phobia of the name 'Gandhi',' he remarked.

The escalating war of words over the SIR process is likely to deepen as state-level political temperatures rise ahead of the next electoral cycle, with both sides now firmly entrenched in conflicting narratives over institutional integrity.