New Delhi, October 17 (H.S.): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his associates of attempting to intimidate democratic institutions and the judiciary through the use of crowd power. Referring to episodes from the Congress party’s history, the BJP alleged that the opposition party was targeting democratic institutions and using young people to fuel political confrontation.

In a statement issued on Saturday, BJP headquarters in-charge and Rajya Sabha member Tarun Chugh alleged that, under what he described as a politics of dynastic authoritarianism, attempts were being made to intimidate the Supreme Court, democracy, the Election Commission and the country’s constitutional institutions. He claimed that such politics was intended to create an atmosphere of fear in the country.

Recalling episodes from the Congress party’s past, Chugh said India had witnessed the Emergency during Congress rule. Referring to the anti-Sikh riots of 1984, he alleged that Sikhs had been burnt alive in several cities during the violence. He also mentioned the deaths of *kar sevaks* in Ayodhya in 1990, asserting that the country had not forgotten these incidents.

Chugh also criticised the Congress by referring to the Bhopal gas tragedy and the Bofors controversy, saying that these incidents and disputes remained part of the country’s collective memory.

He further alleged that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress were drawing young people into political confrontation under the guise of democratic protest. Chugh said that while the right to protest was an essential feature of democracy, it should not be used to intensify political conflict or exert pressure on institutions.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar