Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a sharp attack on the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday, refuting allegations of “vote chori” (vote theft) and collusion between the BJP and the Election Commission. Addressing an audience in Delhi, Mr. Shah characterized the claims as a convenient excuse employed by the Congress party to explain its ongoing electoral failures across the country.
“The BJP keeps winning elections, and the opposition is troubled by it. That is why they have come up with the excuse of ‘vote chori’,” Mr. Shah stated. He further alleged that the focus on electoral malpractice was a diversionary tactic, claiming, “Rahul ji, you keep talking about vote theft because you want to protect the votes of infiltrators.”
During his address, the Union Home Minister pointed to the historical electoral track record of the Congress party to contest the opposition's narrative. He noted that the BJP had secured electoral victories in various states long before Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office. Mr. Shah questioned whether the Congress party’s electoral setbacks had only emerged in the current political era, suggesting that their loss of power in numerous states had been consistent over several decades.
Addressing criticism regarding his own political predictions, Mr. Shah responded to opposition questions about how he might foresee election results. “When I say the BJP will remain in power for 30 years, they accuse us of stealing votes. They ask how Amit Shah knows the election results in advance. Amit Shah was born here, lives here and will die here,” he said. He further critiqued the opposition's attitude toward legal and institutional processes, asserting, “When court rulings favour you, you call them fair, but when they go against you, you question them. These double standards will not work.”
Mr. Shah also dismissed the efficacy of protest-based politics, suggesting that political mandates could not be overturned through sit-ins or mob pressure. His comments came during an event where he launched development projects valued at Rs 8,941 crore, specifically aimed at revitalizing the Yamuna river. The initiative focuses on expanding sewer connections, improving wastewater management, and enhancing sewage treatment facilities. He stated that previous administrations had allowed untreated sewage to enter the river and committed that the current government would complete the cleaning process by May 2029.
In addition to his critique of the Congress, Mr. Shah targeted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the current government in Punjab. He characterized the drug menace as a significant issue in the state and expressed his confidence that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would secure power in upcoming elections. He pledged that an NDA administration would effectively address the issue of drug trafficking in the region.
The event, which coincided with the Home Minister's birthday, served as a platform for broad political commentary on the state of the opposition and the ruling party's developmental agenda. By focusing on both national-level political discourse and regional governance issues, Mr. Shah’s remarks highlighted the ongoing friction between the central leadership and opposition parties in the lead-up to future electoral contests.
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