Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Thursday, 8 October 2026, sharply rebutted Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Nabin's 'anarchist' charge against the Opposition, arguing that the Election Commission of India's (ECI) own decision to hold special camps for 're-enrolling left-out voters' was proof that the Opposition's protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise carried genuine merit.

Chidambaram's Counter-Argument

Chidambaram questioned the BJP's position directly: if the names deleted from electoral rolls were truly those of infiltrators, as the ruling party claims, why was the poll body now conducting special camps to re-enrol the 'left-out' names? He argued that the widespread demonstrations by the Congress, INDIA Bloc parties, student groups, and civil society activists had compelled state Chief Electoral Officers to speak out, raise questions with the ECI, and ultimately organise re-enrolment drives.

He further pointed to what he described as the ECI's own acknowledgement of 'internal dissent', referring to concerns flagged by two Election Commissioners over the manner in which established protocols were allegedly bypassed during the SIR exercise. 'Grave injustice was done to genuine citizens,' Chidambaram said, accusing the BJP of 'defending the impossible.'

BJP Chief's 'Anarchist' Charge

The exchange follows remarks made by BJP President Nitin Nabin in Varanasi during the conclusion of the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan', where he alleged that Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi was fighting for 'ghuspaithiyas (infiltrators)' and working with an 'anarchist mindset' to spread confusion among citizens.

'These are people with an anarchist mindset, who know only how to spread poison in society. It was this EC which conducted elections in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where they came to power. If he has the courage, Rahul Gandhi should first resign,' Nabin said.

Nabin further claimed: 'This Leader of Opposition is engaged in shielding infiltrators,' and warned that 'people of the country will give a befitting reply to the anarchist mindset.'

The Dispute Over SIR and Electoral Rolls

At the heart of the row is the ECI's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, which the Opposition has characterised as 'unilateral and biased', alleging it led to the deletion of genuine voters' names from electoral rolls. The Congress and allied parties staged protests against what they called procedurally flawed deletions, and have demanded accountability from the poll body.

Notably, the subsequent decision by the ECI to hold special re-enrolment camps has become the fulcrum of Chidambaram's counter-argument — that the body's own corrective action validates the Opposition's concerns.

Broader Political Context

This comes amid a sustained BJP-Congress confrontation over electoral integrity ahead of upcoming state polls. The Opposition's framing — that SIR deletions disproportionately affected marginalised and minority communities — has drawn in student groups and civil society, widening the coalition pressuring the ECI. The ruling party, in turn, has sought to reframe the protests as obstruction of a legitimate anti-infiltration exercise.

The ECI has not issued a fresh public statement in direct response to either side's latest salvos. As both parties sharpen their rhetoric, the poll body's handling of re-enrolment camps and its response to internal dissent are likely to remain under political and public scrutiny in the weeks ahead.