Mahayuti holds padyatra in Mumbai; Chavan accuses Congress of spreading falsehoods

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies in the Mahayuti held a padyatra in Mumbai on Sunday under the banner "Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao" (Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy). BJP Maharashtra president Ravindra Chavan accused the Congress of spreading false claims about constitutional institutions such as the judiciary and Parliament.

Chavan said the country was seeing development-focused governance under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but the Opposition was trying to create confusion among the public. "At a time when the entire country is witnessing an era of development-oriented governance under PM Modi's leadership, the Opposition Congress party is trying to create confusion among the public, without any valid reason, by spreading falsehoods about our established institutions, including the judiciary and Parliament, which function in accordance with the Constitution. Such acts are not acceptable," he said.

Chavan also explained why the padyatra was being held. He said the Mahayuti had organised it to raise these very issues. The Opposition claims the march was staged as a counter-move. Rejecting the claim, Chavan said, "The truth is that this padyatra has been organised specifically because of the Opposition's wrong actions."

Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske also targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his associates, alleging that their activities were against the Constitution. "We have gathered here to protest the activities of Rahul Gandhi and his entire coterie, actions that go against the country's Constitution... The entire country and we stand firmly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.

The statements came as BJP national president Nitin Nabin was scheduled to lead a padyatra in Rohtak, Haryana, on Sunday. The march is part of the party's nationwide "Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao" campaign, which aims to respond to the Opposition's allegations over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. The Rohtak march will begin at the Chhotu Ram Polytechnic Ground and end at D-Park in Model Town, where Nabin will offer flowers at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi.

Under the campaign, the BJP wants to take its position on SIR and the electoral process directly to the public. Party workers are expected to go to villages and homes to answer what the BJP calls misinformation and falsehoods. State BJP leaders, senior office-bearers, party workers and members of the public will take part in the march.

Meanwhile, security has been tightened in Delhi, where the INDIA bloc is holding a rally at Ramlila Maidan and the BJP is holding a counter-march in West Delhi. The Opposition INDIA bloc is holding a large "Chalo Delhi Ramlila March" rally at Ramlila Maidan, demanding that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign over alleged irregularities in the voter lists. The ruling BJP, for its part, is holding a march in West Delhi in memory of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The party has accused the Congress of scheduling a political rally on the anniversary of that violence.