The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday filed a complaint with the Election Commission against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of attempting to "pit states against each other" and spreading false claims that the BJP was planning to destroy the Constitution.
A delegation led by Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal met with Election Commission officials to submit the complaint, citing Gandhi's remarks during a rally in Maharashtra on November 6. Meghwal accused Gandhi of lying during his speech and said that the Congress leader had ignored repeated warnings and notices.
"Rahul Gandhi once again lied in his speech, attempting to divide states and falsely claiming that the BJP was about to destroy the Constitution," Meghwal said. "This is untrue and should be stopped immediately."
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The BJP also alleged that Gandhi's behavior had become habitual and that he continued to make divisive statements despite previous warnings from the Election Commission. The party requested that an FIR be filed against Gandhi under Section 353 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), claiming he violated electoral and penal laws.
The BJP's complaint accused Gandhi of grossly violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), which had been enforced in Maharashtra since October 15, 2024. The party highlighted statements from Gandhi’s November 6 speech, in which he claimed the BJP and RSS were undermining the Constitution and that appointments to key university posts were based on RSS membership rather than merit.
"Rahul Gandhi said that if you look at the list of vice-chancellors in India, you will find that their only qualification is RSS membership, not merit," the BJP complaint read. "He also alleged that Maharashtra was being deprived of projects like the Apple iPhone factory and Boeing airplane production, which were being moved to other states."
The BJP further accused Gandhi of inciting the youth of Maharashtra, describing his remarks as a threat to national unity and integrity. The party said his campaign was designed to create division, sowing discord based on geography, caste, and religion, with the aim of gaining electoral advantage in the ongoing Maharashtra Assembly elections.
“His repeated false and baseless allegations against the BJP are intended to create enmity between states and disrupt national harmony,” the BJP's complaint concluded.
In addition, the BJP's complaint follows a separate development in Jharkhand, where an FIR was lodged against the state's BJP unit for allegedly circulating misleading videos on social media, violating the Model Code of Conduct. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had lodged a complaint with the Election Commission, accusing the BJP of using false videos to influence voters in the ongoing Jharkhand assembly elections.