Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday launched a blistering attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, branding him “thick-skinned” for allegedly persisting with his criticism of institutions despite repeated warnings from the judiciary.

Yadav’s remarks came against the backdrop of the Supreme Court recently reprimanding Gandhi over his claim that India had ceded 2,000 sq km of territory to China. Gandhi’s allegations of “vote chori” were also dismissed by the Election Commission, further fuelling the BJP’s offensive.

Addressing a public program held on Independence Day, Yadav said, “Rahul Gandhi is so thick-skinned that even repeated reprimands by the Supreme Court and the High Court have no effect on him. Instead of introspection, he puts our institutions in the dock time and again.”

The Chief Minister also referred to Gandhi’s earlier punishment for his controversial “Chowkidar chor hai” remark, arguing that the Congress leader has not changed his rhetoric despite judicial intervention. “Don’t know from where he has started talking about chori-chori again,” Yadav added, drawing sharp applause from the crowd.

Highlighting the credibility of constitutional institutions, Yadav underlined the role of the Election Commission in safeguarding democracy. “The world’s largest democracy is strong because of the Election Commission. The Commission has faced every test with success,” he said, asserting that attempts to undermine its image were attempts to weaken democratic values.