‘Are you an illegal MP, Kharge Ji?’ Kiren Rijiju hits back over remarks on PM Modi, Amit Shah

The political confrontation between the BJP-led government and the Congress escalated after Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju hit back at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over his remarks questioning the legitimacy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, amid the Opposition's continuing criticism of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Kharge had alleged that the country was witnessing “illegal elections” and claimed that Modi and Shah were functioning as “illegal” leaders. He also demanded that governments be dissolved and fresh elections conducted through ballots, while accusing the government of undermining democracy through the SIR exercise.

Responding to the Congress president, Rijiju questioned whether Kharge's argument would also apply to elected representatives and governments led by Congress and its allies.

Taking to X, Rijiju said, “Are you an illegal MP, Kharge ji? Is Rahul Gandhi ji an illegal MP? Are Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand illegal? Stop insulting the Constitution of India.”

The exchange comes against the backdrop of a broader political dispute over the functioning of the ECI and the ongoing SIR exercise, which has emerged as a major point of contention between the ruling party and opposition parties.

Questions over Election Commission functioning

The controversy surrounding the poll panel intensified following a report published by The Indian Express last month, which said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on at least 14 occasions over a 10-month period on various aspects of electoral administration.

According to the report, the issues raised included Form 6 applications for voter registration, deletion of names from electoral rolls, access to central electoral-roll databases and certain technology-related systems.

The Election Commission rejected suggestions that the exchanges reflected institutional dissent within the poll panel.

The ECI said administrative queries, operational feedback and suggestions during the preparation and drafting stages were part of the normal functioning of the institution. It also maintained that the final decisions on the SIR schedule were taken unanimously.

Opposition steps up campaign against ECI

The Election Commission and the SIR exercise have meanwhile become central to the INDIA bloc's campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the poll panel's handling of electoral rolls.

Opposition parties have announced a series of protests as they seek to intensify their campaign against the ECI. A coordinated demonstration has been scheduled for October 6, while a larger rally is planned in New Delhi on November 1.

On Sunday, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray appeared together at a protest march towards the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters in Mumbai.

The joint demonstration targeted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and focused on the SIR exercise, electoral-roll issues and broader concerns raised by opposition parties over the functioning of the Election Commission.

The latest Rijiju-Kharge exchange has further sharpened the political battle over the ECI and electoral-roll revision, with the government defending the poll process and the Opposition continuing to question the functioning of the election machinery.