Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], September 27 (ANI): Keralam Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Sunday responded to Chief Minister VD Satheesan's criticism over the former's remarks against Leader of Opposition (LoP) Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, saying he was compelled to make personal comments due to what he described as Gandhi's repeated attacks on institutions and the Prime Minister.
Chandrasekhar, in a post on X, said he rarely engages in personal attacks on political opponents but made an exception in Rahul Gandhi's case.
"I seldom get into personal attacks on political opponents as you know CM @vdsatheesan. But in @RahulGandhi's case, I am compelled to, as most Indians are. Let me explain why," Chandrasekhar said.
He alleged that Gandhi's politics was based on "lies, insults and divisiveness" and accused him of spreading misinformation against the BJP and its governments.
"Rahul's politics since being thrown out by tired, angry voters in 2014, consists solely of and is built on lies, insults and divisiveness. His politics tears down country and country's institutions constantly, slander and abuse against our PM, uses lies about govt and bjp, spreads misinformation - all the while his party presides over epic corruption and malgovernance of UPA era type in states they are in government," he said.
Chandrasekhar further said he had "absolutely no reservation or hesitation" in referring to Rahul Gandhi and his politics as "politics built on fraud and corruption".
"I have absolutely no reservation or hesitation in referring to Rahul and his politics as politics built on fraud and corruption and him as a fraud," Chandrasekhar said, adding this was even more true after Gandhi's "latest drama" referring to the Prime Minister and the Election Commission (EC) as "deshdrohis." "That is what should be condemned," he added.
He further cited the ECI's Saturday clarification as vindication, saying, "Any sensible person (non-Congress) will conclude the same — that Rahul is a fraud — after yesterday's very clear statement by @ECISVEEP. if you hvnt read it, you should. Respect in politics has to be earned - through sincere hard work and service for country. Throughout Rahuls dynasty entitled "career" , he has done neither."
Taking on Satheesan directly, Chandrasekhar wrote, "Your views of #SIR are certainly not consistent with senior leaders of your own party. You can huff and puff all you want, fake, dummy and illegal voters must and will be removed from Electoral rolls. All the time. Everytime. In general course, I wud ignore your condemnation. But since you are CM of my state, I must take seriously your condemnation of me calling Rahul a fraud. So heres my response."
"If you get Rahul to apologize for calling our PM @narendramodi a 'deshdrohi' and have him apologize to Election Commission for lying, then I promise to stop referring to Rahul Gandhi as a fraud. If you dont take up my above offer but persist on using lies, unkept promises, corruption and appeasement as your political strategy, be prepared to be called out as frauds. Everytime," he said.
I seldom get into personal attacks on political opponents as you know CM @vdsatheesan .
But in @RahulGandhi 's case , I am compelled to, as most Indians are.
Let me explain why.
Rahuls politics since being thrown out by tired, angry voters in 2014, consists solely of and is… https://t.co/yexDm2XetG
His remarks came after Satheesan condemned Chandrasekhar's comments against Gandhi, calling them "irresponsible and malicious statements".
"I strongly condemn the irresponsible and malicious statements made by BJP Keralam State President Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Making personal and abusive remarks against Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji, India’s Leader of the Opposition, does not constitute political criticism. It is the language of a party that has no answers for its own failures," Satheesan said in a post on X.
Satheesan also criticised the BJP over its stand on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, saying that rejecting scrutiny over the process exposed "double standards".
"Portraying differences of opinion within the Election Commission as routine, while rejecting any scrutiny of the SIR process, only exposes the double standards of the BJP. Keralam wholeheartedly rejects these baseless allegations against Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji and the Indian National Congress," he said.
I strongly condemn the irresponsible and malicious statements made by BJP Keralam State President Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Making personal and abusive remarks against Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji, India’s Leader of the Opposition, does not constitute political criticism. It is the…
— V D Satheesan (@vdsatheesan) September 26, 2026
Chandrasekhar had earlier reacted to the EC's clarification on allegations raised by Rahul Gandhi over the SIR process and the CEC. Sharing the EC statement, he said, "I stand corrected. Rahul Gandhi is not Indian politics greatest creative fabricator. @RahulGandhi is India's biggest fraud. Every decision by @ECISVEEP abt #SIR was an unanimous one."
I stand corrected .
Rahul Gandhi is not Indian politics greatest creative fabricator.@RahulGandhi is Indias biggest fraud.
Every decision by @ECISVEEP abt #SIR was an unanimous one. https://t.co/JiKdGoRwOj pic.twitter.com/GeiwjrfYTh
The political exchange comes amid an ongoing political row over the functioning of the ECI following a report by The Indian Express, which said that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months regarding decisions and procedures related to the SIR exercise.
Rahul Gandhi on Saturday had accused CEC Gyanesh Kumar of "match-fixing elections" after citing a Malayalam news channel report claiming that Kumar had approached former Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson to contest elections on a BJP ticket.
However, the ECI has rejected the allegations and stated that decisions related to the SIR schedule were made with the "unanimous approval of the Commission". The poll body also clarified that a letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary was related to the functioning of an officer on deputation and not any policy matter of the Commission.
Gandhi had earlier demanded CEC Kumar's resignation and accused the poll body of failing to protect the electoral process, stating that those who attack votes and democratic institutions are "deshdrohis".
The SIR row has triggered reactions from several opposition parties, with Congress, Left and other parties questioning the Election Commission's functioning, while the BJP and the poll body have defended the revision exercise. (ANI)
