Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday criticised Rahul Gandhi for attacking the Election Commission and Supreme Court. Rijiju said, "This daily drama by the Congress Party, Rahul Gandhi, and their associates needs to stop now." He urged the Congress to focus on public service to regain voter confidence.
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Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday criticised Rahul Gandhi and the Congress over the INDIA bloc's march to the Election Commission, accusing the party of repeatedly targeting constitutional institutions instead of working to regain voters' confidence.
Rijiju said the Congress should focus on public service rather than continuing its attacks on the Election Commission and the Supreme Court. He also urged Gandhi to take lessons from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP workers.
"This daily drama by the Congress Party, Rahul Gandhi, and their associates - constantly attacking the Election Commission and the Supreme Court - needs to stop now. This drama has been going on continuously since 2014. How long will this drama continue? In a democracy, if you serve the people, you get the public's mandate. When you fail to win the mandate, you abuse the Election Commission. When the Supreme Court asks for an apology, you attack the Supreme Court and claim you have no faith in the judiciary. You call the Election Commission corrupt and call the government corrupt."
"This will neither benefit democracy nor lead to the revival of the Congress Party. I particularly want to tell Rahul Gandhi: Learn from Modi Ji. Learn from BJP workers, who selflessly and continuously work not for themselves, but for society and the country. You should do the same and stop this drama. If you continue to serve the people, they will trust you. Creating drama won't accomplish anything," he added.
Rijiju's comments followed Gandhi's march with Opposition MPs to the Election Commission headquarters in New Delhi. The Congress leader claimed that nearly 300 MPs from both Houses of Parliament were prevented from meeting the poll panel and questioned why elected representatives were not being allowed to meet the commission.
Gandhi said the Opposition had reached the Election Commission's doorstep to "save democracy" and accused the BJP-led government and constitutional authorities of weakening democratic institutions.
Rijiju countered by attacking the Congress's record in power, particularly its actions during the Emergency.
"The Congress Party was given the opportunity to rule this country for 55 years, including two years during the Emergency when they ruled by imposing an Emergency and even altered the Preamble of the Constitution. That is the character of the Congress Party, and today they talk about democracy," Rijiju said.
The Union minister also accused the Congress of backing narratives promoted by foreign entities that he described as hostile to India.
"My second request to Rahul Gandhi and the Congress Party is to stop promoting the narrative of anti-India forces. Foreign entities that continuously push anti-India narratives to weaken the country, defame Indian constitutional institutions, and mislead the public—at the very least, Congress should not champion their narratives. You have ruled this country for 55 years. Therefore, I request again: the time has come to stop this daily, dramatic routine," he said.
Rijiju said India's political landscape had changed and argued that political inheritance alone could no longer guarantee electoral success.
"We are fed up, and the public does not want to see it anymore. The country has moved forward towards a Viksit Bharat. The nation has changed. Simply being born into a specific family will not make you Prime Minister anymore. The youth of this country have changed with a new mindset, moving together under Modi Ji’s leadership to build a developed India by 2047," Rijiju said.
Questioning the continued confrontation with constitutional bodies, Rijiju said the Congress should instead work at the grassroots level.
"So why carry out this drama of attacking the Election Commission, the Supreme Court, and constitutional institutions? This drama will no longer work. If Congress wants to win whatever mandate is left for them, they should serve the people. Narratives on social media will not work," the Union Minister said.
Rijiju also pointed to his own political experience, saying parties needed to maintain a direct connection with voters.
"I myself spent 25 years in the Opposition, travelling from village to village on foot to serve the people. Today, villages across the country are connected and united to fulfil the dream of a Developed India," he said.
The Opposition's march had led to heightened tensions in Delhi. Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other INDIA bloc leaders were stopped from entering the Election Commission office complex and later staged a sit-in at the nearby Akashvani complex.
Congress workers also attempted to enter the poll panel's premises, resulting in clashes with security personnel. Police detained some party workers after they allegedly entered Akashvani Bhavan, where prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita were in force.
Gandhi had earlier said the Opposition would "spare no one" allegedly involved in undermining democratic institutions and accused the Election Commission of facilitating what he called "vote chori".
Rijiju, meanwhile, called on the Congress to focus on winning public support through its work rather than continued confrontation with institutions.
"Therefore, stop challenging our government under Modi Ji’s leadership. The people of India stand firmly with Modi Ji and the NDA government," he said.