Rahul Gandhi likens Opposition protest to tandav, calls it ‘Shivji ki baraat’, where everyone is welcome
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has compared ongoing protests against alleged electoral irregularities to Lord Shiva's 'tandav' dance. He also directly addressed the Chief Election Commissioner, urging him to turn approver regarding the alleged voter deletion scandal.
Why it matters
This reflects escalating political tensions in India regarding the integrity of the electoral process and the confrontational relationship between the opposition and election officials.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Monday (October 12, 2026) compared the repeated protests by the Opposition against alleged “vote chori “ (theft) to Lord Shiva’s tandav (cosmic dance), while claiming that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar had sent him messages.
“This is tandav , Lord Shiva’s dance. There is no planning here,” Mr. Gandhi said in response to a question on the Opposition’s future strategy on the issue, adding, “There is no need for a plan. A dance is going on, Lord Shiva’s dance. And anyone can join Shivji ki baraat (the wedding procession of Lord Shiva).”
The Opposition leader addressed a press conference at the Congress headquarters, Indira Bhavan, before parties belonging to the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) marched towards the Supreme Court from the Barakhamba Road intersection in central Delhi.
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