Those Who Looted the Country in Power Are Now Talking About ‘Theft’: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
New Delhi: Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Slams Congress, Opposition; Says Their Politics Seeks to Weaken Democracy and Discredit Constitutional Institutions
There Are Limits to Political Protest; Those Holding Constitutional Offices Must Act Responsibly: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Repeated Defeats Have Left Congress Frustrated; Now It Has Resorting to Threats: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Narendra Modi Cannot Be Removed from People’s Hearts Through Threats; Winning Their Trust Requires Hard Work Among the People: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Why Is Congress So Attached to Fake Votes? Is Its Politics Surviving on Them?: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Opposition Is Venting Its Frustration Over Defeat, Not Taking Out a March: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Elections Are Fair When Congress Wins, but ‘Vote Theft’ When It Loses: This Is Congress’s Double Standard, Says Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Were Opposition Victories in Kerala, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Jharkhand Illegal?: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Do Not Discredit Constitutional Institutions or Push the Country Towards Chaos: Shivraj Singh Chouhan to Congress
A Clean Electoral Roll Is the Soul of Democracy; Why Should Names of Deceased and Ineligible Persons Remain on Voter Lists?: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Election Commission Is Not Responsible for Congress’s Defeats; Party Must Introspect on Its Politics and Working Style: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Press Release | October 6, 2026 | Bhopal | Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Congress and opposition parties over their protests, saying they were not taking out marches but venting their frustration over repeated electoral defeats. Chouhan said that whenever people reject them, opposition parties, instead of accepting their defeat, start questioning constitutional institutions. “Accepting defeat is also an essential part of the democratic spirit. But after repeated electoral defeats, the Congress has been putting the electoral process and constitutional institutions in the dock,” he said. He said those who ‘looted the country while in power’ are now talking about theft. The people have repeatedly rejected the Congress, but instead of introspecting on its failures, the party is blaming the Election Commission for its defeats, he said. “The frustration over defeat is now turning into resentment, and the Congress is losing its balance,” Chouhan said.
Democracy is right when they win, but ‘vote theft’ when they lose
Questioning what he described as the Congress’s ‘double standards’, Chouhan said the opposition must explain how the same electoral system under which it wins elections in different states becomes invalid when it loses. “Congress and opposition parties won in Kerala. Was that victory illegal? They won in Karnataka. Was that victory illegal? They won in Himachal Pradesh. Was the mandate there illegal? Opposition governments were formed in Punjab and Jharkhand. Were the results of those elections illegal?” he asked. He said the opposition must also answer questions regarding the Lok Sabha election results in Uttar Pradesh. “Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi should explain that if the electoral process itself was flawed, do they also consider the results through which they gained political advantage to be invalid?” he asked. Chouhan said trusting democracy and the electoral process when one wins, but alleging “vote theft” when one loses, reflects the Congress’s double standards. “In a democracy, the people’s mandate has to be respected. When people support a party, it must accept that mandate, and when people reject it, that decision must also be respected,” he said. He said that instead of examining the reasons for electoral defeats, blaming the Election Commission reflects political frustration. “The opposition should reflect on its own shortcomings rather than attack the credibility of the democratic system,” he said.
Reported by Mamta Chaturvedi
