Thick-skinned: Mohan Yadav slams Rahul Gandhi for repeated attacks on institutions

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday renewed his attacks on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of stubbornly continuing his line of criticism in elections despite judicial censure, calling him "thick-skinned".

Yadav's attack came in specific reference to the Congress leader being recently reprimanded by the Supreme Court for claiming that India ceded 2,000 sq km of its territory to China and the rejection of his claim of "vote chori" by the Election Commission.

Speaking at a program on Independence Day, Yadav described Gandhi as so "thick-skinned" that "even repeated reprimands by the Supreme Court and the High Court have no effect on him".

Yadav took aim at Gandhi’s continued allegations against institutions, saying, "On the contrary, he repeatedly puts institutions in the dock. Despite being punished by the Supreme Court for statements like Chowkidar chor hai, he did not change his language and attitude".

The chief minister added, "Don't know from where he has started talking about chori-chori".

These comments come a day after Mohan Yadav accused Gandhi of being an "urban Naxal", while speaking to India Today TV.

Yadav also sought to underscore the resilience of India's democratic framework. "The world’s largest democracy is strong because of the Election Commission. The Election Commission has passed every test".

He implied that Gandhi’s allegations, rather than fostering transparency, actually target and weaken public trust in foundational institutions.

This escalation follows Rahul Gandhi’s ongoing "vote chori" campaign, in which he accuses the Election Commission and the BJP of electoral malpractice. Gandhi’s claims have been publicly rebuked by the poll body.

On August 14, the poll panel dismissed the use of phrases like "vote chori" calling them "dirty phrases" that fuel misleading narratives.

It pointed out that India has upheld the principle of "one person, one vote" since 1951–52 and demanded Gandhi produce proof—specifically via a written affidavit—rather than general accusations that, in their words, "colour all the electors of India as 'chor' without any proof.

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