NEW DELHI: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday, accusing him of insulting the people of Maharashtra with his remarks in the Lok Sabha.
Responding to Rahul’s allegations of electoral irregularities in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, Fadnavis wrote on X, “Introspect instead of insulting Maharashtra! You have insulted the people of Maharashtra, the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Mahatma Phule, and Veer Savarkar. You have questioned the democratic mandate given by the people of Maharashtra to the NDA just because your party was vanquished.”
He further said that instead of reflecting on the Congress party’s defeat, Rahul Gandhi was resorting to “slander” and added, “The people of Maharashtra won’t forgive you for this. Apologise, Mr. Rahul Gandhi!”
The leader of opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi stirred controversy during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, where he raised concerns over the Maharashtra elections held in November 2024.
The Congress leader alleged that between the Lok Sabha elections, where the INDIA bloc performed strongly, and the Maharashtra Assembly polls, a significant increase was recorded in the state’s voter list.
“Now, I want to bring to the notice of this House some data about Maharashtra polls. Between the Lok Sabha polls, which the INDIA bloc won, and the assembly elections, the number equivalent to the population of Himachal was added to the voting rolls of Maharashtra,” Rahul claimed.
Rahul further alleged that nearly 70 lakh new voters had suddenly appeared between the June general elections and the November state polls, raising questions over the transparency of the electoral process.
In his speech, Rahul Gandhi also questioned the Modi government over the restructuring of the selection committee for the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners, calling it a “calculated strategy” to weaken democratic institutions.
He took swipes at the Centre’s handling of foreign policy, alleging that the foreign minister was sent to the United States to “manage” an invite for the Prime Minister. He also brought up border security concerns, claiming that the Indian Army Chief’s statement on Chinese intrusion contradicted Prime Minister Modi’s stance.