Gandhinagar: Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his dharna at Akashvani Bhavan in Delhi, saying “real” youth do not forcibly enter premises but work to script a new history of development.Addressing the concluding ceremony of the ‘Varanasi to Vadnagar Seva Yatra’ in Vadnagar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hometown, Chouhan accused the opposition of trying to create an atmosphere of anarchy in the country. The event was part of the BJP’s nationwide ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’ marking Modi’s 25 years in public life.Without naming Gandhi, Chouhan said, “Our youth are moving forward with the pledge of service. But yesterday we saw another leader, who calls himself a youth, barge into Akashvani and just sit there in Delhi.”“Real youth is not the one who forcibly enters Akashvani premises in Delhi. Real youth are those whose feet possess momentum and fire, whose eyes hold dreams, and who refuse to bow before injustice and oppression,” he said, praising volunteers who participated in the rally.Gandhi, along with sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other INDIA bloc leaders, had staged a prolonged sit-in at Akashvani Bhavan on Tuesday after their march towards the Election Commission was stopped. The protest, over allegations of “vote chori” and seeking a meeting with election officials, ended after police detained the leaders.Chouhan also questioned the opposition’s allegations of electoral malpractice, saying, “When they lose elections, they claim votes were stolen. When they were winning in West Bengal until now, what happened then?”Referring to West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari’s victory over Mamata Banerjee, he said, “Votes were not stolen; their intellect has been stolen.”Praising Modi’s 25 years in public office, Chouhan described him as the “embodiment of patience” and highlighted the govt’s response to cross-border terrorism, including Operation Sindoor following the 2025 Pahalgam attack.Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel, deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi and West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari attended the event.
