'Political Drama': BJP Slams Congress Ramlila Maidan Protest
BJP Telangana chief N Ramchander Rao dismisses Congress's Ramlila Maidan protest as a "political drama" and denies claims of travel restrictions.
The political temperature in Telangana has spiked as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a scathing attack on the Congress party over its planned Ramlila Maidan protest in Delhi. N Ramchander Rao, the Telangana BJP president, has dismissed the upcoming gathering as nothing more than a "political drama" designed to mislead the public and defame constitutional bodies.
Allegations of 'False Narratives'
Speaking to ANI on Friday, Rao took aim at the Congress party's claims regarding the movement of its supporters. He specifically addressed the narrative that individuals were being obstructed from travelling to the national capital to join the protest.
Rao asserted that no such restrictions exist, suggesting that the Congress is merely creating a "concocted story" to mask its own inability to mobilize a crowd.
"The Congress is not confident of gathering people in Delhi. So they are now trying to build up a false, concocted story that people are being stopped,"Rao stated, emphasizing that citizens are free to travel wherever they wish.
The SIR Controversy
A central point of contention in this political clash is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. While the Congress has raised serious allegations regarding the SIR and the Election Commission of India (ECI), the BJP leader maintains that the process was handled with complete propriety.
To bolster his argument, Rao pointed toward contradictions within the Congress party itself, citing remarks made by a Congress minister in Karnataka who reportedly acknowledged that the SIR was conducted properly and that no improper deletions occurred. Rao questioned why the party continues to blame the ECI when its own members have suggested the process was fair.
Attacks on Constitutional Institutions
The BJP leader did not stop at the SIR issue; he accused the Congress leadership of acting as "anarchist forces" within the country. He claimed that the program scheduled for November 1 at Ramlila Maidan is a calculated attempt to undermine the credibility of the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of India.
Rao specifically named Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, alleging that their team is focused on defaming constitutional institutions rather than addressing genuine public concerns, asserting that the protest lacks actual grassroots support.
Mobilization from Telangana
Despite the BJP's criticisms, the mobilization for the protest is already underway. Following the call from the All India Congress Committee (AICC), a group of Congress workers from Husnabad in Telangana's Siddipet district have already departed for Delhi via bus. They are joining the wider INDIA bloc protest aimed at challenging the actions of the BJP and the Election Commission.