Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Nabin on Sunday accused the Congress of wanting to run democracy “according to the law of the Gandhi family”, as he called it out for undertaking a protest rally in the national capital, instead of apologising to the Sikhs for the 1984 riots.

Nabin’s remarks came at the BJP’s ”Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao’ rally in Haryana’s Rohtak. He was referring to the INDIA bloc’s ‘Dilli Chalo’ rally, currently underway at the national capital’s Ramlila Maidan.

Addressing the gathering, the BJP chief claimed that an atmosphere of chaos and instability is being “deliberately spread” throughout the nation and accused the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, of acting at the behest of foreign powers and “serving as a tool for their agendas”.

“He (Gandhi) seeks to challenge our nation’s democracy based on the directives of these foreign entities…Their associates, members of the Communist Party and certain Congress leaders, talk about ‘regime change’. But this government is formed by the mandate of the people; no one can even lay a finger on it,” Nabin asserted.

He said that the Congress ought to have sought “atonement” for the “massacre” of the Sikhs and should have offered an apology.

“Yet, today, they have taken to the streets to protest. I ask, on behalf of the people in this democracy, Rahul Gandhi, when our Sikh brothers were being slaughtered, when a full-scale massacre was unfolding, your father (Rajiv Gandhi) remarked that ‘when a big tree falls, the earth shakes.’ Because of that (statement), the lives of so many of our Sikh brothers were lost. You should have felt remorse for this; you should have apologised, but instead you are carrying out protests,” he remarked.

According to the BJP chief, the Congress is “frustrated” and “blaming” Constitutional institutions since the party did not receive the people’s mandate to govern.

“If Congress leaders had the courage, they would first end Rahul Gandhi’s dynastic rule within the party and establish democracy in the Congress; instead the party leaders believe that even the country’s law should be made according to Rahul Gandhi and his family,” he alleged.

Referring to the Allahabad High Court’s 1975 decision to set aside then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s election for misusing government machinery and barring her from contesting elections for six years, Nabin said: “This is the Congress’ legacy of stealing votes and disrespecting the people’s mandate.”

He also addressed the Opposition’s claims that 13 crore votes have been deleted, saying: “Any worker from our party, the NDA, or even one of our local unit Presidents can provide a detailed account for every single one of those 13 crore deleted votes.”

Accusing the Opposition of fighting to “protect” infiltrators, Nabin said: “I declare that as long as the workers of the BJP and the NDA are here, they will ensure these infiltrators are driven out of the country. Under no circumstances will these infiltrators be granted any rights.”

“It has become clear that you wish to run the democracy according to the ‘law’ of the Gandhi family. But a democracy must be governed by the nation’s Constitution, which is worshipped by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi has always upheld the democracy of this nation,” the BJP chief stated.

Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, Director Professor Vivek Lal visited the six-year-old girl undergoing treatment there, following an alleged assault at a school in Panchkula on October 28.

During his visit, Professor Lal interacted with the treating doctors and enquired about the child’s health, medical condition and progress. He expressed deep concern over the unfortunate incident and assured the family that the institute would extend every possible assistance to ensure the child’s recovery.

Taking a special humanitarian initiative, the PGIMER Director ordered that the girl’s entire medical treatment be provided free of cost, with all expenses to be borne by the institute. In addition to covering all medical expenses, PGIMER has also provided her with a private room to ensure comfort, privacy, and appropriate care during her hospital stay.

Professor Lal said that the responsibility of PGIMER goes beyond providing medical treatment and includes standing alongside patients and their families during difficult times.

He emphasised that the institute is committed to ensuring the best possible medical care and all necessary support for the young patient and her family.

The six-year-old girl was brought to PGIMER with critical injuries after an alleged assault by an eight-year-old boy inside her classroom at a school in Panchkula on October 28. She was subsequently referred to the premier medical institute in Chandigarh for specialised treatment.

At present, the child is being treated by a multidisciplinary team of specialists, who are closely monitoring her condition and providing all necessary medical attention.

Following the Director’s visit, the institute has assured the family of continued medical and institutional support throughout the child’s treatment. According to officials, the Director will personally monitor the treatment and other care being given to the child.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday organised ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao’ marches in several states across the country to take on INDIA bloc’s Ramlila Maidan rally against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral irregularities.

In Shimla, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma led the protest march that witnessed massive participation from BJP workers. The march was set to culminate in a rally at the district’s Chaura Maidan.

Speaking to reporters, Sarma targeted the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, saying: “Should the Himachal Pradesh election be cancelled or not? Should the Kerala election be cancelled or not? Should his own election from Rae Bareli be cancelled or not? Let the Congress governments (in states where the party is in power) resign first; then they should come to us (to demand resignation).”

“Let them boycott elections in Uttar Pradesh saying that vote theft has taken place…states where they (Opposition) win elections, the process is good for them, but they seem to find irregularities wherever the BJP wins polls,” he said.

Sarma further told media that Gandhi should first resign as an MP. “He was also elected in 2024, wasn’t he? He too was elected through EVMs. He should also resign,” he said.

‘”The ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao’ rallies are being held across the country today, with lakhs of people taking to the streets. The public is telling Rahul Gandhi not to work to protect infiltrators, saying that infiltrators must leave the country.”

Taking part in the ‘padyatra’ in Shimla, BJP MP Anurag Thakur told media: “Congress is spreading anarchy to hinder India’s progress. The same Congress, whose leaders were responsible for the massacre of Sikhs on November 1, 1984, has chosen this date for murdering democracy and the Constitution.”

He accused Rahul Gandhi of taking the support of foreign forces, saying: “His intention to bring in a regime change will never be successful as people of the country are watching his drama.”

A similar march was taken out in Haryana’s Rohtak under the leadership of BJP National President Nitin Nabin.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde took part in the protest rally in Thane.

Speaking to reporters, Shinde claimed that the Opposition is “jealous” of the government due to the work done by it.

“Amit Shah has eliminated Naxalism, and that is what they are jealous of. They (Opposition) are speaking the language of Pakistan…They have become puppets in the hands of foreign powers and are working to divide the country while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working to unite the nation.”

Taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi, he added: “They hold a copy of the Constitution in their hands but organise protests against the Supreme Court and the Election Commission, and call EVMs fraudulent. Even their MPs and MLAs in whichever states (the Congress) is in power have been elected through the EVMs. Are their elections not valid?”

State BJP President Ravindra Chavan said all citizens are taking part in the party’s march to protect democracy.

“The institutions established under the Constitution, which form the foundation of our democracy, are being targeted and undermined in different ways. Therefore, this march was organised today in Thane by the Mahayuti alliance,” he told reporters.

Further, Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske accused the INDIA bloc of adopting “new tactics” every day against Prime Minister Modi to “obstruct” the country’s progress.

“Rahul Gandhi is repeatedly refusing to accept the people’s mandate given through the Constitution. He is engaging in such acts as disrupting Parliament and organising protests against the Supreme Court,” he said.