Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday, 10 October 2026, launched a sharp attack on Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of making false claims about a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu and questioning his conduct as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha. Prasad made the remarks while speaking to reporters in Patna, hours after Gandhi had shared his version of the delegation's visit to Rashtrapati Bhavan.

What Prasad Said

Speaking in Patna, Prasad did not mince words. 'Rahul Gandhi lies; he is an expert at lying. Please spare the President. It is inappropriate, and the party has clearly refuted it; there was no such thing. They keep raising a hue and cry about vote theft, yet look at how badly they lost — Mamata Ji lost badly in bye-elections in West Bengal, even in Murshidabad, where 70 per cent of the population is Muslim, and they also lost in a Lok Sabha seat in Assam,' he said.

Prasad further questioned Gandhi's dignity as LoP, adding: 'The behaviour you engage in while sitting on the roads of Delhi does not befit a Leader of the Opposition.' The remarks signal the BJP's intent to challenge both the substance of the Opposition's electoral complaints and Gandhi's credibility as the principal voice of the opposition in Parliament.

The Opposition's Meeting With President Murmu

The confrontation stems from a high-profile march and delegation visit led by Rahul Gandhi earlier in the day. Gandhi marched from Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhavan alongside a group of INDIA Bloc MPs and party leaders before a smaller delegation was received by the President.

The delegation pressed for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and submitted a memorandum outlining four major demands. These included the removal of Kumar, the repeal of the 2023 law granting life-long immunity to the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, the immediate suspension of the SIR exercise, and the restoration of all 13.3 crore voters allegedly deleted from electoral rolls. The Opposition also demanded a return to paper ballots and the repeal of all assembly elections held over the last two years in which it claims 'conclusive evidence of vote chori has been presented.'

Gandhi's Claims and the President's Office's Silence

Following the meeting, Gandhi said he was 'stunned' that the President 'did not deny' the assertion about electoral irregularities, though he acknowledged she did seek proof. 'We have all the proof of how elections were stolen. The entire country has seen it,' he said. Notably, the President's office issued no official statement on the discussions, leaving Gandhi's characterisation of the meeting unverified by any independent authority.

The BJP categorically rejected Gandhi's account, with Prasad asserting that the party had 'clearly refuted' the claims and that 'there was no such thing.'

Supreme Court Move and What Comes Next

Gandhi also announced that the Opposition would approach the Supreme Court on Monday to meet the Chief Justice of India and hand over a memorandum regarding their concerns over the electoral process. This escalation represents a significant legal dimension to what has so far been a political battle.

This is not the first time the INDIA Bloc has raised allegations of irregularities in the electoral system — the coalition has repeatedly questioned election outcomes, while the BJP has consistently rejected those accusations as politically motivated. With the Opposition now signalling a Supreme Court intervention and the ruling party sharpening its counter-offensive, the standoff over India's electoral machinery is set to intensify in the days ahead.