Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 21: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has strongly criticized Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for his recent comments in Boston, accusing him of damaging India’s democratic reputation on international platforms.
Addressing the media, Fadnavis condemned Gandhi’s remarks as “false and irresponsible,” particularly his allegations about India’s constitutional institutions. “It is very sad that Rahul Gandhi goes abroad and spreads lies about institutions created by the Constitution and questions our democracy. His repeated electoral failures seem to be fueling such behavior,” Fadnavis said.
He further added, “Rahul Gandhi is raising a question mark on his own character by making such statements. If he genuinely wants to win elections, he should reconnect with the people rather than defaming India.”
Gandhi, while speaking to the Indian diaspora in Boston, had claimed that India’s Election Commission was “compromised” and cited alleged irregularities during the Maharashtra elections. He stated, “More people voted in Maharashtra than the total population. At 5:30 p.m., the Election Commission released one figure, and by 7:30 p.m., 65 lakh more votes were added — this is physically impossible.”
These comments were also slammed by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who accused the Congress party of attempting to undermine constitutional institutions whenever election outcomes are not in its favor.
“When Congress wins, the EC is right, and when it loses, the EC is wrong. This has become a habit for Congress — to make baseless and absurd statements to disturb the nation’s atmosphere. But the public stands with BJP, and we have the people’s mandate,” Maurya said.
Gandhi’s controversial statement has triggered a wave of backlash from BJP leaders, who see it as an attempt to discredit the electoral process and deflect from the party’s electoral setbacks.