The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday launched a sharp offensive against the Indian National Congress, accusing the opposition party of repeated policy reversals — or 'U-turns' — on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and demanding a formal apology for what the ruling party called a sustained campaign to undermine India's democratic institutions.

Key Accusations at the Press Conference

At a press conference in New Delhi, BJP National Media Co-convenor Sidharth Yadav trained his fire on Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, alleging that Gandhi's positions on electoral integrity have shifted based on political convenience. Yadav recalled that ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, Gandhi had blamed then Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for enabling the BJP's entry into the state — only to, after the elections, attribute the BJP's performance to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the electoral process itself.

'We are witnessing a persistent campaign of false propaganda and narratives — particularly by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi — about the country's electoral process. The attempt to erode citizens' faith in the democratic process and weaken the backbone of democracy is evident to all,' Yadav said.

Historical Examples Cited by BJP

Yadav cited a series of historical instances to argue that Congress had previously supported voter-list purification exercises before turning against them. He noted that on 15 August 2018, the Congress alleged that 42 lakh duplicate names existed in the Rajasthan voter list and demanded their removal. The subsequent SIR process, he said, resulted in the deletion of approximately 41.85 lakh names — broadly matching Congress's own demand at the time.

He further pointed out that when the SIR was conducted in Kerala and Congress emerged victorious, party leaders praised the exercise as 'helpful and an excellent initiative,' even claiming that the Communist Party had inserted bogus names into the voter list. 'In 2018, the Congress maintained that failing to remove duplicate names amounted to a betrayal of democracy. Now, we are witnessing the Congress's reaction as names are being removed,' Yadav said.

Data Points on Past Voter-List Revisions

The BJP leader cited additional data points to reinforce his argument. He noted that on 24 August 2013, 13.58 lakh votes were deleted in Delhi, adding that the BJP — then in opposition — did not challenge the process. In Bihar, on 9 August 2013, 76 lakh voters were flagged as suspicious without any opposition objection. In Maharashtra, on 27 April 2014, 70.76 lakh voters were removed and 74 lakh voters were added without an SIR, again without allegations of vote theft. Yadav also claimed that SIRs were conducted ten times during the tenures of Congress governments, and that 'at that time, no one questioned the process.'

BJP's Demand for an Apology

Yadav concluded with a direct call for accountability, arguing that casting doubt on constitutional institutions to mask electoral failures was 'not the opposition's role' but 'an injustice to the country.' He also referenced videos that have reportedly surfaced showing illegal immigrants admitting to having voted in elections prior to the SIR process, though these claims could not be independently verified. 'The Congress party should apologise for this,' he asserted.

The BJP's broadside comes amid an ongoing national debate over the ECI's SIR exercise, with the opposition arguing the process risks disenfranchising legitimate voters. How both sides navigate this dispute is likely to shape the political narrative heading into upcoming state elections.