Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday accused the Congress and its allies of trying to create anarchy in the country after failing to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi electorally, as he led the BJP’s ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao’ padyatra in the state capital. Targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, he also rejected their allegations of “vote chori” and accused the Opposition of attempting to undermine constitutional institutions.
The march marked the formal launch of the BJP’s Mission-2027 campaign, with the party planning six such padyatras across Uttar Pradesh’s organisational regions.
The padyatra began from Lok Bhawan, where a makeshift stage had been set up, and passed through GPO crossing and Hazratganj before ending at Parivartan Chowk, near KD Singh Babu Stadium. Thousands of party workers carrying BJP flags and ‘Loktantra Bachao’ placards joined the march.
Chouhan, along with BJP state general secretary (organisation) Dharampal Singh and other party leaders, walked the entire route. BJP leader Neeraj Singh coordinated the event.
Before flagging off the march around 1:35 pm, Chouhan took aim at Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav over their “vote chori” allegations.
“It is a bundle of lies to mislead people and defame institutions,” he said, claiming that only duplicate names, names of deceased persons and those of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants had been deleted from electoral rolls.
“When Congress cannot defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the electoral battlefield, it is busy hatching conspiracies to create anarchy in the country,” Chouhan said.
{{/usCountry}}“When Congress cannot defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the electoral battlefield, it is busy hatching conspiracies to create anarchy in the country,” Chouhan said.
{{/usCountry}}He also questioned Yadav over the Opposition’s objections to the deletion of duplicate voter entries. “If a person’s name is registered at two places in the voter list, should it be deleted from one place or not? The SP chief should answer this,” he said.
Referring to Emergency, Chouhan said: “The Congress committed the sin of murdering democracy by imposing Emergency in 1975 but will never succeed again in weakening democracy.”
Taking a swipe at the Opposition over its electoral setbacks in several states, from Bengal to Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan told Akhilesh: “In February, Akhilesh Babu, you too will be finished.”
In another attack, Chouhan said attempts to divide the country had been made thrice.
“The first time was in 1905 by Lord Curzon, the second in 1947 by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and now the Congress, INDI alliance, Samajwadi Party and other parties are trying to spread anarchy in the country. These parties are dreaming of a change of power,” he said.
“Sometimes allegations are levelled against the Election Commission, sometimes against the Supreme Court. Attempts are being made to mislead the youth too. In a democracy, everyone has the right to protest, but hurting the dignity of constitutional institutions is not appropriate,” he added.
Chouhan said people had kept the Congress out of power in several states for a long time, adding that the presence of NDA governments in most states reflected public trust in Modi.
Contrasting the Opposition’s approach with the Centre’s development agenda, he said the Modi government and the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh were setting new benchmarks in development. “India’s global standing has changed significantly over the past 12 years. Now, the world listens to and respects the country,” the Union minister said.
He said the four key groups at the centre of Modi’s development model were youth, farmers, women and the poor.
Targeting the Congress’s rally in Delhi despite protests by traders, Chouhan accused the party of attempting to rake up old wounds. Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s demand for a debate in Parliament, he said: “PM Modi is ready to discuss any subject, but when the opportunity comes, the Opposition remains absent. If they have courage, they should come to Parliament and debate with facts.”
He also accused the Congress of spreading confusion on Constitution and reservation during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, reminding that 10% EWS quota and constitutional status to the Backward Classes Commission were given by the Modi government.
State BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary said the ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao’ campaign was not merely a political programme but a mass campaign to protect democracy, end anarchy and expose what he called anti-national conspiracies.
“Leaders of the Opposition alliance, after facing defeat, try to mislead the public by levelling allegations against the Election Commission and other institutions. The Opposition should introspect why the public is continuously rejecting it,” Chaudhary said.
Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak said India was the world’s largest and strongest democratic nation and that attempts to weaken democracy at the behest of foreign powers would not succeed.
“No matter how much foreign powers support Opposition, just as countrymen drove out the British, INDI alliance’s attempt to spread anarchy will fail,” Pathak said, alleging Opposition wanted Bangladesh-like situation in India and that talks of ‘regime change’ showed it did not believe in electoral process.
The BJP has planned similar padyatras in the Kashi, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, Braj and Meerut regions, with a target of more than 25,000 participants at each event. These will be followed by rallies by PM Modi in 18 commissionerates and zone-wise meetings by Union home minister Amit Shah after November 20.