New Delhi: In an assessment of the Ramlila Maidan event by the INDI Alliance on Sunday, BJP MP Sambit Patra claimed that nearly 5,000 to 7,000 chairs out of the 28,000 chairs set out
at the venue between 3:30 pm and 4 pm were empty.
He alleged that 40 per cent of the Ramlila Maidan was vacant, questioning the Congress’s claim of a 10 lakh turnout, calling the event as a “complete waste of time”.
“You can see in the background that 40 per cent of the Ramlila Maidan, 40% of the space, was vacant. Rahul Gandhi and his team claimed that 10 lakh people would attend. Out of 28,000 chairs, around 5,000-7,000 were empty at 3.30-4 PM. This is the reality behind Congress’s claim of 10 lakh attendees,” Patra said.
Despite bringing together several parties and their supporters, the Opposition could not gather the claimed number of people, he claimed.
“Where were the 10 lakh people? Show us. No one becomes a leader or Prime Minister through such tricks. PM doesn’t just mean Prime Minister. P stands for Paseena (sweat), and M stands for Mehnat (hard work). A Prime Minister is made through sweat and hard work. Despite bringing together so many parties and flags, they could not manage to gather 10 lakh people,” Patra said.
Targeting Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Patra said that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was not in that post at the time of the polls and assumed the position in 2025.
“Rahul Gandhi said the 2024 election was illegal. Gyanesh Kumar was not even there during the 2024 elections. He became the Election Commissioner in 2025” Patra said.
If the 2024 election was illegal, Rahul Gandhi’s position as Leader of Opposition and that of the MPs elected in the polls would also be illegal, he said.
“If the 2024 election was illegal, then Rahul Gandhi is also an illegal Leader of Opposition, and all his MPs are illegal. If an election is illegal, challenge it in court,” he said.
Rahul cannot declare an election illegal two and a half years later, Patra said, as reported by ANI.
“Show me a single petition filed by Rahul Gandhi, Congress or any INDI bloc party challenging the 2024 election. You cannot declare an election illegal two and a half years later at Ramlila Maidan,” he said.
He and his party had been observing the rally since morning and listening to Rahul Gandhi’s speech, but felt that it was a “complete waste of time”, Patra said.
“We have been observing this rally organised by the INDI bloc since morning and listening closely to Rahul’s speech. But in the end, it felt like a complete waste of time,” he added.
Union minister Giriraj Singh targeted Rahul over the INDI bloc’s rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, claiming that despite announcements of a 10 lakh turnout and bringing people from across the country, half of the venue remained empty.
“The truth has been exposed. Announcements of 10 lakh people, bringing people from across the country through 20 parties by paying them, and yet half of Ramlila Maidan remained empty. The capacity of Ramlila Maidan is only 50,000,” he said
“In such a situation, Rahul Gandhi ji, your ‘urban Naxal’ act is being exposed,” he said.
The youth of India was filled with nationalism, Singh said, accusing Gandhi of alleging vote theft.
“The youth of India is filled with nationalism… You are alleging vote theft, while people are saying that they have stopped voting for thieves,” Singh added.
