India: Opposition and BJP clash over Delhi rally and election claims

Political tensions in India have escalated following a large-scale demonstration by the INDIA bloc in Delhi. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, accused the BJP of forcibly closing shops in Connaught Place ahead of the 'Chalo Delhi' march, alleging this caused financial losses to local traders.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju countered claims regarding the rally's scale, alleging that the Congress party used AI-generated images to falsely depict massive crowds at Ramlila Maidan. BJP leaders supported this claim, stating that significant portions of the ground remained vacant despite opposition claims of high attendance.

Separately, Union Minister Giriraj Singh rejected allegations of vote theft and concerns regarding Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) raised by the opposition. Singh challenged the Congress party to provide evidence of electoral malpractice to the Election Commission, suggesting that opposition losses are due to voter dissatisfaction rather than systemic fraud.