In fourth Mahayuti rally, Fadnavis accuses Opposition of trying to ‘destroy democracy’

Up against massive protests from students, citizens and Opposition leaders, the BJP has planned eight to 10 of its own rallies across Maharashtra to counter the stir against the purported manipulation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls

MUMBAI: In the fourth ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakata Hatao (Save Democracy, End Anarchy)’ rally, held on Monday by the state’s ruling parties from Shivaji Park to Elphinstone Road, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis claimed that that the Congress and its INDIA bloc allies were attempting to change the Constitution, and the BJP would not allow this to happen “till the last drop of blood left in their body”.

The fourth ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakata Hatao (Save Democracy, End Anarchy)’ rally was held from Shivaji Park to Elphinstone Road. (Raju Shinde/HT Photo)

Up against massive protests from students, citizens and Opposition leaders, the BJP has planned eight to 10 of its own rallies across Maharashtra to counter the stir against the purported manipulation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls by chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Fadnavis’ tack in the Mumbai rally hinged on a semantic point: the definition of “regime change”, which, according to him, implies overturning all institutions. “Please understand that Rahul Gandhi and his alliance partners are not talking about changing the government; they are talking about regime change,” he said. “Regime change means changing all constitutional institutions, including the RBI, Election Commission of India (ECI) and Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).”

In a reference to neighbouring Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh, where people’s movements recently overthrew governments, Fadnavis alleged that the Opposition bloc was “receiving support from foreign countries”. “The same plan is being pursued for India,” he said. “The ‘red book’ that Rahul Gandhi and other leaders have been displaying is the same one that has created political anarchy in neighbouring countries and even in France and Denmark.”

Appropriating the Opposition’s claim of the Constitution and democracy being under threat from the BJP/NDA, Fadnavis declared that these were in fact under threat from the Opposition, and the ruling Mahayuti and NDA had taken to the streets to protect them. “Their fight is not against the BJP, NDA or the government but against the Constitution itself,” he claimed. “We will continue fighting until the agenda of regime change, changing the Constitution and undermining democracy is defeated.”

Fadnavis also hit out at former PM Indira Gandhi, saying that she had curtailed the powers of the high courts and the Supreme Court to review government decisions with the 42nd Constitutional Amendment. “Her grandson Rahul Gandhi is repeating history,” he said. “Displaying Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution in one hand while discrediting the institutions created under the same Constitution on the other is a deliberate strategy and a conspiracy to destroy the Constitution. At least Indira Gandhi was a leader. Who is Rahul Gandhi to make such claims?”

The Monday rally was held at Kamgar Krida Mandal in Parel (Elphinstone Road). Besides Fadnavis, the participants included RPI (A) chief Ramdas Athawale, Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan, Mumbai BJP leaders Ashish Shelar and Ameet Satam, and former union minister Anurag Thakur. The last of the such rallies will be held in Nagpur on October 5, with Fadnavis, Nitin Gadkari and other BJP leaders in attendance.

As part of the ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakata Hatao’ campaign, padyatras (marches) are being organised in metropolitan cities and administrative district headquarters across every state. The BJP has set a target of mobilising around 10,000 participants for each padyatra. In a letter written last week, BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh asked state presidents to coordinate programmes at the state, district, assembly and Lok Sabha levels, finalise venues and dates, and ensure their time-bound implementation.

The padyatras will attempt to dissipate the storm raised around the purported manipulation of the SIR rolls by Gyanesh Kumar, not by countering the charges themselves but by emphasising the need for the SIR institution and “accurate electoral rolls”. The BJP’s state units have also been directed to organise outreach programmes involving influencers, intellectuals and prominent citizens, with a target of connecting with 2,000 such individuals in every Lok Sabha constituency. Social media campaigns and special publications in regional languages will also form part of the exercise.