Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Dr Sudhanshu Trivedi on Monday, 2 November 2026, launched a sharp attack on the opposition Indian National Congress and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, alleging that both pose the gravest threat to Indian democracy today. Speaking at a press conference in Bhubaneswar, Trivedi accused the Congress of deliberately stoking confusion over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and of acting as a tool for forces hostile to India's rise.

The Core Allegation

'The Congress party itself and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi have become the biggest threats to Indian democracy,' Trivedi alleged at the press conference. He framed the charge in the context of India's growing global stature, arguing that certain domestic and external forces are 'uncomfortable with India's progress' and that the Congress has aligned itself with those interests. The BJP spokesperson characterised the opposition's protests — including demonstrations at All India Radio, outside the Prime Minister's residence, and at other constitutional institutions — as attempts to create political instability and erode public confidence.

India's Progress Under Scrutiny

Trivedi cited the World Bank's 2025 report to argue that India has made significant strides in poverty reduction over the past 12–13 years, and positioned the country as one of the fastest-growing major economies under the Narendra Modi government. He highlighted advances in artificial intelligence, defence manufacturing, and emerging technologies as markers of the country's upward trajectory. The broader argument, he said, is that the opposition's conduct undermines a nation in ascent.

Electoral Roll Revision Row

A significant portion of Trivedi's press conference addressed the SIR controversy. He explained that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) — appointed through the Election Commission of India (ECI)'s administrative machinery — are responsible for adding and deleting names from electoral rolls, while political parties appoint Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to monitor the process and raise objections. With approximately 12 lakh BLOs and 22 lakh BLAs deployed across the country, Trivedi questioned why Congress representatives had not formally objected at various stages. He said revised rolls were shared with parties at the district, state, and national levels, providing ample opportunity for challenge.

Notably, Trivedi also cited statements by Congress leaders in Kerala and Karnataka who, he claimed, have acknowledged the need to remove bogus voter entries through the SIR process — undercutting, in his view, the party's national-level criticism of the exercise. The allegation relating to large-scale deletions, he said, pertains to voters who had shifted residences, duplicate entries, and individuals who could not be traced during the revision.

Congress's Electoral Record in Question

Trivedi also pointed to the Congress's prolonged absence from power across several large states. The party has not formed a government in Odisha since 2000, he noted, and cited electoral setbacks over several decades in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Nagaland, and Sikkim. These states collectively account for around 230 Lok Sabha seats, he said, raising pointed questions about how the Congress expected to secure a meaningful national majority from the remaining constituencies.

Kolkata Rally and 'Save Democracy' Campaign

After the Bhubaneswar press conference, Trivedi travelled to Kolkata, where he addressed a large rally at 3 pm under the banner of the 'Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy Campaign'. The event began with floral tributes at the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at College Square. The choice of Netaji's statue as a starting point was widely seen as a symbolic gesture aimed at the BJP's political messaging in West Bengal, a state governed by the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). This comes amid an intensifying pre-electoral battle between the BJP and TMC over democratic credentials and governance.

All India Congress Committee has not issued an immediate response to Trivedi's press conference, as of the time of this report.