Gadkari accuses Opposition of undermining constitutional trust

Key Takeaways

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari posted a sharp attack on the Congress and INDIA alliance on November 5, 2026 .

He accused the opposition of a 'planned, continuous attempt' to erode public trust in India's constitutional institutions.

Gadkari described Congress as being in a 'desperate and dejected state of mind.' He expressed confidence that PM Narendra Modi and the BJP retain the trust and blessings of the Indian public.

The post was tagged #SaveDemocracyRemoveAnarchy , a BJP-aligned campaign hashtag.

The INDIA alliance was formed in July 2023 ; the BJP-led NDA returned to power after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections with a reduced majority.

India's constitutional institutions are under a deliberate political assault — that is the charge Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari levelled at the opposition on Thursday, November 5, 2026, in a sharp post on X, accusing the Congress and the INDIA alliance of systematically eroding public trust in the country's foundational bodies.

Posting in Hindi, Gadkari wrote: 'विपक्ष, कांग्रेस और INDI गठबंधन द्वारा लगातार देश की संवैधानिक संस्थाओं के प्रति लोगों के विश्वास को कमजोर करने तथा जनता को भ्रमित करने का सुनियोजित प्रयास किया जा रहा हैं।' — ('The opposition, Congress and the INDI alliance are making a planned, continuous attempt to weaken people's faith in the country's constitutional institutions and to mislead the public.') He described this as evidence of Congress's 'desperate and dejected state of mind,' and expressed confidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party retain the 'blessings and trust of the people of the country.' The public, he added, would respond to the opposition's 'lies' through democratic means in the future. He tagged the post with the hashtag #SaveDemocracyRemoveAnarchy.

A BJP counter-narrative against the INDIA coalition

Gadkari's broadside is part of a well-worn but hardening battle line in Indian politics. Since the INDIA alliance was formally constituted in July 2023, the BJP has consistently framed opposition criticism of institutions — the judiciary, the Election Commission, investigating agencies — as deliberate destabilisation rather than legitimate democratic accountability. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections returned the BJP-led NDA to power with a reduced majority, which the ruling coalition has since cited as fresh popular endorsement against opposition narratives. For Gadkari specifically, a senior leader who has previously been seen as a voice of relative moderation within the BJP, this unambiguous alignment with the party's sharpest anti-opposition framing is itself a signal worth reading.

The institutional trust debate at the heart of Indian democracy

The charge and counter-charge over institutional integrity cuts to one of the defining fault lines of contemporary Indian democracy. The opposition coalition argues that constitutional bodies have faced political pressure under the current dispensation — a claim that has animated civil society debates and street protests in the past. The ruling party's rejoinder, amplified here by Gadkari, is that such claims are manufactured crises designed to delegitimise elected governance. Neither side has shown any sign of stepping back from that trench. Future state elections are virtually certain to see this same rhetorical artillery deployed on both sides. The public, as Gadkari himself puts it, will be the ultimate arbiter — at the ballot box.

Point of View

Often positioned as the BJP's pragmatic technocrat, is amplifying this combative message suggests the party is consolidating its ranks ahead of the next electoral cycle. The 'democratic response' rhetoric is a pre-emptive ballot-box legitimacy claim — invoking future elections as the proof-point before those elections have even been called. This kind of institutional-trust warfare, escalating since the INDIA alliance's formation, now defines the central grammar of Indian national politics.

NationPress

6 Nov 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Nitin Gadkari say about Congress and the INDIA alliance?

Gadkari accused Congress and the INDIA alliance of making a 'planned, continuous attempt' to weaken public faith in India's constitutional institutions and to mislead people, calling it a sign of the opposition's 'desperate and dejected state of mind.'

What is the INDIA alliance?

The INDIA alliance is an opposition coalition formed in July 2023 by multiple parties, including the Indian National Congress, to contest the BJP-led government collectively in national and state elections.

What does the hashtag #SaveDemocracyRemoveAnarchy mean?

#SaveDemocracyRemoveAnarchy is a BJP-aligned campaign hashtag used to frame the ruling party's position as the defender of democratic institutions against what it characterises as destabilising opposition politics.

What was the outcome of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections?

The BJP-led NDA returned to power after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but with a reduced majority compared to previous terms, a result both the ruling coalition and the opposition have interpreted in contrasting ways.

Why does Gadkari's statement matter politically?

Gadkari is a senior BJP leader seen historically as a moderate voice within the party. His unambiguous adoption of the BJP's sharpest anti-opposition framing signals strong internal party unity ahead of future electoral contests.