Guwahati: The Assam BJP organised public awareness rallies in Guwahati, Jorhat and Silchar on Wednesday, accusing the Congress and the INDIA bloc of engaging in anti-national activities in collaboration with forces opposed to India. The Assam BJP rallies were held to mobilise public support against what the party described as attempts to undermine democratic institutions and the integrity of the electoral process.
BJP state president Dilip Saikia led the rally in Guwahati. According to the party, more than 50,000 people participated in the procession from the Veterinary College playground in Khanapara to the Jyoti-Bishnu International Art Centre.
Addressing the gathering, Saikia said thousands of people had assembled to strengthen democracy and raise their voices against anti-national forces. He alleged that Congress leaders became unsettled when the party was out of power and resorted to activities against national interests. He also accused the INDIA bloc and other opposition groups of attempting to weaken the independence of constitutional institutions and undermine the dignity of the judiciary. Saikia said the BJP would not allow such efforts to succeed.
Saikia also questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of vote theft. He asked why Gandhi had not presented evidence to support his claims during his meeting with the President if he possessed such proof.
Referring to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Saikia said the Congress should not object to the removal of deceased voters’ names and duplicate registrations from the voter lists. He claimed that the SIR process began after 2024 and questioned whom the Congress would blame for its electoral defeats before that period.
The Assam BJP president also raised questions about Congress allegations concerning electronic voting machines (EVMs), referring to governments elected through EVM-based elections in Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala. He said the opposition should provide evidence to substantiate its allegations before questioning the electoral process. Saikia further accused the Congress and the INDIA bloc of spreading misleading information about the revision of electoral rolls.
The BJP launched its Jan Jagran Abhiyan, or public awareness campaign, from Nalbari on 13 October. According to the party, the campaign continued on Wednesday with rallies attracting large numbers of participants in Guwahati, Jorhat and Silchar.
Several senior leaders attended the Guwahati rally, including BJP state organisational general secretary Ravindra Raju, Cabinet ministers Biswajit Daimary and Ajanta Neog, MP Bijuli Kalita Medhi, and MLAs Diganta Kalita, Digdh Ranjan Sharma and Vijay Kumar Gupta. Guwahati Municipal Corporation Mayor Mrigen Sarania and other party functionaries were also present.
In Jorhat, the BJP claimed that more than 20,000 people took part in the rally. Cabinet minister Pijush Hazarika said the BJP served the public with dedication rather than exploiting people. He claimed that this was why people voluntarily joined the rally organised against the Congress and other opposition forces.
The Jorhat event was attended by ministers Rameswar Teli and Sushanta Borgohain, MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, and MLAs Hitendra Nath Goswami and Rupjyoti Kurmi, among other leaders.
In Silchar, the rally drew BJP leaders, workers and supporters, including ministers Kaushik Rai and Krishnendu Paul, MPs Parimal Suklabaidya and Dr Rajdeep Roy, and MLAs Terash Gowalla, Amiya Kanti Das, Kishor Nath and Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha
