Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the party's protest march in Delhi, calling the episode a 'brazen display of thuggery, arrogance and slavish loyalty' and alleging that it raised serious questions about the Congress's respect for constitutional propriety.

What Vijayendra Alleged

In a strongly-worded statement, Vijayendra claimed that Rahul Gandhi pulled Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar by his kurta and pushed him back into the crowd during the demonstration. He also cited reports of party workers being elbowed and a female journalist being physically manhandled at the protest site.

Vijayendra alleged that Gandhi's conduct showed 'little regard for the dignity of party leaders, the position of an elected Chief Minister or the safety of journalists.' He described the visuals from the march as reflecting what he termed the Congress leader's intolerance and sense of entitlement.

The Emergency Parallel

'This is the same authoritarian mindset India witnessed five decades ago during the Emergency, when his grandmother's government trampled upon democratic freedoms and sought to subjugate institutions,' Vijayendra said, drawing a direct parallel with the Emergency imposed during the tenure of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The BJP leader alleged that the Congress leadership was treating constitutional institutions as extensions of the party rather than independent pillars of democracy.

The Supreme Court Controversy

Vijayendra also criticised the Congress leaders' decision to march to the Supreme Court, noting that the Chief Justice of India had reportedly declined a meeting with the delegation. He further alleged that the petition submitted in connection with the matter had reportedly been returned with 14 defects. 'The Supreme Court is not a stage for political theatrics, and the Constitution cannot be held hostage to the electoral frustrations of one entitled political dynasty,' he said.

Broader Political Context

The BJP leader questioned the Congress's approach to constitutional institutions, alleging that the party was attempting to convert political frustration into pressure on the judiciary. This comes amid a broader pattern of Opposition-led protest marches to constitutional bodies, which ruling party leaders have consistently characterised as attempts to delegitimise institutions. Vijayendra asserted that no political leader or family was above the Constitution or the law, and that India's democracy was 'larger than the ambitions of any one political family.'

The Congress party had not issued an immediate formal response to Vijayendra's allegations at the time of reporting. The episode is likely to intensify the ongoing political friction between the BJP and Congress ahead of upcoming electoral contests.