Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Saturday, 31 October 2026, launched a pointed attack on Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, over the Opposition's proposed 10-lakh-people rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, alleging it could trigger chaos in the national capital. Speaking at a press conference at Dinkar Guest House in the refinery complex in Begusarai, Singh also announced a 'Pratikar Padyatra' in Begusarai on 2 November.

Singh's Challenge to Rahul Gandhi

Advising the Congress leader to follow the path of Mahatma Gandhi, Singh said that political protests must be conducted peacefully, without attempts to force entry into places or engineer disorder. He questioned the political agenda behind the massive proposed mobilisation, arguing that mass gatherings of this nature risked destabilising the capital rather than delivering legitimate democratic dissent.

On Electoral Roll Allegations and EVMs

Addressing the Opposition's broader campaign, Singh questioned allegations surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, the credibility of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), alleged vote theft, and demands for regime change. He asked why Opposition parties had not submitted evidence directly to the Election Commission of India (ECI) if they genuinely believed voters' names had been illegally deleted during the SIR exercise.

Singh challenged Opposition leaders to visit villages and verify with residents how many voters had actually been removed from the rolls — a direct counter to claims of systematic disenfranchisement. Citing a statement by Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala in Kerala, he further questioned why the Opposition was not raising similar concerns about electoral processes in other states where elections had already been held under the same framework.

The EVM Credibility Debate

Targeting parties that routinely question EVM credibility, Singh alleged that Opposition leaders default to blaming machines or alleging vote theft whenever they lose an election. He argued that Opposition parties also face defeats in ballot-paper-based elections, undermining the machine-manipulation narrative. Referring to recent village committee elections and the Tripura Legislative Council elections, he claimed voters were actively rejecting certain political parties — not that votes were being stolen.

Context and What's Next

Singh's remarks come amid an intensifying Opposition campaign over alleged irregularities in Bihar's electoral rolls and a coordinated push to mobilise supporters at Ramlila Maidan. The announced Pratikar Padyatra on 2 November in Begusarai signals the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s intent to counter the narrative on home turf. With the Opposition rally and the BJP's grassroots response both imminent, the political temperature around electoral integrity is set to rise further in the coming days.