Sambit Patra, JP Nadda and Nitin Nabin criticised the opposition gathering and linked their response to the SIR dispute and November 1 anniversary.
BJP Responds to Ramlila Maidan Gathering
The BJP mounted a broad political response to the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan. Senior party leaders criticised the opposition’s campaign against the Election Commission and questioned the scale and purpose of the gathering.
The INDIA bloc had organised the event to raise concerns about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged voter deletions. The BJP rejected the opposition’s accusations and described the demonstration as politically motivated.
Sambit Patra Challenges Turnout Figures
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra questioned the opposition’s claims about the number of people expected at the rally. He said the INDIA bloc had projected a turnout of around 10 lakh and argued that footage from the venue showed many chairs remaining empty.
Patra presented video footage during a press conference and used it to challenge the opposition’s account. The source material did not provide an independently verified attendance figure, so the competing claims should be treated as statements from the political sides.
JP Nadda Criticises Rally Timing
BJP leader JP Nadda accused the opposition of using the language of democratic protection to create political unrest. He also criticised the decision to hold the rally on November 1, a date associated with the 1984 anti-Sikh violence.
Nadda said the event could hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community and affect businesses during the festive period. The INDIA bloc has maintained that its rally was intended to raise questions about voter rights and electoral transparency.
Nitin Nabin Targets the Opposition Alliance
BJP national president Nitin Nabin criticised the INDIA bloc during a programme in Rohtak, Haryana. He questioned the opposition’s response to election results, arguing that parties accepted outcomes when they won but raised doubts about institutions after defeats.
Nabin also referred to the 1984 violence and said Congress should apologise to the Sikh community. His remarks connected the BJP’s criticism of the rally date with its wider political attack on the opposition.
Counter-Programmes Across States
The BJP also organised public marches under the banner ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao’. Union ministers Bhupendra Yadav and Piyush Goyal, along with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, were among the leaders named as participants in counter-demonstrations in different states.
The programmes were intended to challenge the opposition’s allegations and present the BJP’s position on electoral politics, democratic institutions and public order.
SIR Dispute Continues
The political exchange comes amid disagreement over the Election Commission’s revision of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have raised concerns about possible exclusion of eligible voters and demanded accountability from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The BJP has rejected the allegations and defended the revision exercise. With both sides continuing to dispute the process and the political meaning of the November 1 rally, electoral transparency remains a major point of contention.