BJP mocks INDIA bloc rally over turnout, questions Rahul Gandhi's '10 lakh' claim

BJP MP Sambit Patra said the rally, held over allegations of 'vote chori' against the Election Commission, had failed to draw the crowds promised by Congress leaders. He cited visuals of the venue to claim that large portions of the ground remained vacant despite INDIA bloc leaders projecting an attendance of over 10 lakh people.BJP questions INDIA bloc's 10 lakh turnout claim at Ramlila Maidan, releases video (Photo: ITG)New Delhi,Nov 1, 2026 17:42 ISTThe BJP on Sunday targeted the INDIA bloc over its rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, questioning the Congress's claim that 10 lakh people would attend the gathering and accusing the Opposition alliance of exaggerating the turnout.Addressing a press conference, BJP MP Sambit Patra said the party had been observing the rally since morning and listening to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's speech, but described the event as a "complete waste of time." He cited footage of the venue to argue that large portions of the ground remained vacant despite the Congress projecting a turnout of 10 lakh."Where were the 10 lakh people? Show us," he said, accusing the Congress of using "trick photography" to create an impression of a much larger crowd.BJP QUESTIONS 10 LAKH TURNOUT CLAIMReferring to statements by Congress leaders KC Venugopal and Pawan Khera, Patra said the party had projected that more than 10 lakh people would attend the rally. He said Ramlila Maidan spans around 10 to 12 acres, with the stage and the designated area in front of it occupying approximately 15 per cent of the ground. Patra claimed that nearly 40 per cent of the remaining space was vacant.Pointing to the chairs visible in the footage, he said around 5,000 to 7,000 of the 28,000 chairs placed at the venue were empty at the time. He argued that the visuals raised questions about the Congress's claim of a 10 lakh turnout. "Despite bringing together so many parties and flags, they could not manage to gather 10 lakh people," Patra said.Taking a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, the BJP leader said becoming a Prime Minister required hard work. He used the Hindi words paseena (sweat) and mehnat (hard work), saying the two were what the letters 'P' and 'M' in Prime Minister stood for.RAHUL GANDHI WARNS MODI, SHAH OF LEGAL ACTIONThe BJP's attack came after Rahul Gandhi used the rally to issue a warning to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral irregularities.Gandhi asserted that Gyanesh Kumar would be removed from his post and jailed for "treason" over alleged vote theft. He also warned Modi and Shah that they would face legal action and should not assume they could escape accountability."After Gyanesh Kumar, we will stand against you. Don't forget that for the vote chori you have done, there will be legal action against you and Narendra Modi," Gandhi said.Referring to Shah's reported remark that Modi was not going anywhere, Gandhi said the Prime Minister could not escape accountability. "Narendra Modi cannot go anywhere; even if he wants to go, we will not let him," he said.Gandhi also accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of taking control of institutions across the country, alleging that this had denied farmers and workers their rights and young people employment. He claimed that the country's wealth had become concentrated in the hands of a few, while ordinary people faced punitive action when they failed to repay loans.RAHUL REPEATS VOTE CHORI ALLEGATIONSThe Congress leader alleged that electoral manipulation had taken place in several state elections, naming West Bengal, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Karnataka, as well as the 2024 Lok Sabha election.Gandhi claimed that 13.5 crore voters, amounting to 15 per cent of the electorate, had been removed from electoral rolls after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He argued that this raised questions about the legitimacy of the election, pointing out that the difference between the NDA and the Opposition was only around three percentage points.He also accused the government of misusing constitutional institutions and reiterated that the Constitution was supreme and no government or individual was above it."This is not the voice of a political party or leaders but the voice of farmers, labourers and people across the country. It is declaring that we will not let democracy and the Constitution be destroyed in India," Gandhi said.He added that the Opposition would not resort to violence or hatred against Modi, Shah or Gyanesh Kumar, but would continue its fight to protect the Constitution.CONGRESS SAYS MESSAGE SENT TO MODI, SHAHCongress general secretary KC Venugopal defended the gathering, describing it as a massive show of public opposition to the BJP leadership."Today, the people of India have given a clear message to Narendra Modi and Amit Shah that their time is over. Their time to retain power by hook or by crook is over," Venugopal said.He accused the government of undermining democracy by misusing the office of the Chief Election Commissioner and said the rally reflected public anger against alleged electoral irregularities."You can see the sea of people. This is a clear reaction from the country; it is a clear reply to the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and those who are destroying the democracy of this country," he said.Venugopal added that people would not allow the government to continue undermining democratic institutions.- Ends