NAGPUR: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday criticised Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA bloc over their attempt to march to the Supreme Court to meet the Chief Justice of India, saying the country would not tolerate actions that undermine constitutional institutions.Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Fadnavis backed the Supreme Court’s stance and said grievances must be addressed through legal procedures rather than street protests.Drawing a parallel with the Emergency imposed in 1975 by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the senior BJP leader accused the Congress of undermining constitutional values.“Rahul Gandhi ji, this Constitution was authored by Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Your grandmother also attempted to dismantle it. In 1975, your grandmother—through Parliament—enacted an amendment effectively barring citizens from approaching the courts to enforce their fundamental rights, which were the most significant provision introduced by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar,” Fadnavis said.“However, the entire opposition fought back at that time and succeeded in restoring Babasaheb’s Constitution. Therefore, no matter how many protests you organise against the Constitution, we will not allow any harm to come to Babasaheb’s Constitution; we will not let you subvert it in this manner. The country will not tolerate these activities that go against the Constitution. Come what may, we will spare no effort to save this Constitution and this democracy—this is a warning I wish to issue to Rahul Gandhi,” he added.Questioning the march, Fadnavis said, “…Consider the instance where he speaks of marching to the Supreme Court and demanding to meet the Chief Justice. Under which constitutional provision is the Chief Justice expected to come out and hold discussions with a protest march? The Supreme Court’s response was absolutely correct: if one has a grievance, one must approach the Court through the proper legal channels.“Fadnavis also accused the Congress and the INDIA bloc of casting doubts on constitutional institutions. He said the party should examine the reasons behind its electoral defeats instead of blaming Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).“We condemn the manner in which the Congress party and its so-called ‘INDI Alliance’ are attacking India’s constitutional institutions and attempting to cast doubt on the judiciary. The Congress needs to do some introspection, as major states across the country have rejected the party for years… The need is not to blame EVMs for their defeat, but to look for the cause within their own leadership—a leadership that has been repeatedly rejected,” he added.“The Congress party and its leader, Rahul Gandhi, consistently work to malign and spread falsehoods or rumours about the robust institutions established by Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar—institutions that serve as the pillars of our democracy. Whether it is the Election Commission, the Supreme Court, the CAG, or the RBI, they are attempting to destroy every institution created under the Constitution because they have faith in neither the Constitution nor democracy,” the Maharashtra CM said.Earlier on Monday, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi led the INDIA bloc’s march towards the Supreme Court. The opposition plans to approach the court over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and seek action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha Bora walked alongside the two leaders during the march. Thousands of political workers and civil rights activists joined the protest, bringing major stretches of the capital, including Mandi House and Barakhamba Road, to a standstill.Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi’s legal team reached the Supreme Court registry seeking an extension to file an in-person writ petition. The petition reportedly concerns protest-related issues in New Delhi linked to alleged irregularities by the Election Commission of India.(With Agency Inputs)
