NEW DELHI, Oct. 31 -- Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav to debate allegations of 'vote chori' in a special session of Parliament, asserting that the BJP was prepared for a discussion but claiming that the opposition leaders would not agree to one.
Addressing the BJP's Uttar Pradesh working committee meeting in Lucknow, Shah rejected the Opposition's allegations of electoral irregularities and accused its leaders of questioning the Election Commission whenever they suffered electoral defeats.
"I am ready to call a special session of Parliament to discuss the 'vote chori' allegations. But Rahul Baba will never agree. He will never discuss the issue in Parliament but will create a nuisance on the street," Shah told party workers.
His remarks came ahead of the INDIA bloc's planned symbolic 'public impeachment' of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday and a protest rally at Delhi's Ramlila Ground on Sunday against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Shah said the BJP had nothing to hide and was willing to discuss every allegation raised by the Opposition on the floor of Parliament. He accused opposition parties of preferring street protests to parliamentary debate.
"I challenge Rahul Baba and Akhilesh to discuss every allegation inside Parliament. The allegations against the Election Commission are baseless. But they don't want a discussion; they want drama on the streets," he said.
The Home Minister compared the Opposition's allegations to a losing team blaming the umpire instead of examining its own performance.
He maintained that electoral defeats should prompt political parties to review their strategies rather than question the integrity of the election process.
The Congress and other INDIA bloc parties have repeatedly accused the Election Commission of irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls, alleging that eligible voters have been excluded. The poll panel has defended the SIR exercise as necessary to maintain accurate electoral rolls.
Addressing more than 2,800 party functionaries, Shah also criticised Gandhi and Yadav over their parties' electoral performances, arguing that neither had demonstrated the ability to independently lead their party to victory in recent major elections.
He referred to the BJP's electoral performance in several states and said the party's organisational strength had been central to its victories.
Turning to Uttar Pradesh, where Assembly elections are scheduled for 2027, Shah urged party workers to intensify preparations and maintain contact with voters.
He asserted that the BJP government in the state would return for a third consecutive term and expressed confidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would secure a fourth term at the Centre.
Shah emphasised the role of party workers in electoral success, saying victories depended on sustained organisational efforts rather than individual leaders alone.
The Home Minister's remarks came as the INDIA bloc prepared to intensify its campaign against CEC Kumar and the SIR exercise.
The Opposition's 'public impeachment', initially scheduled for Friday, was postponed because of rain in Delhi and rescheduled for Saturday. The symbolic proceedings are expected to take place at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence after the bloc failed to secure permission for other venues.
The opposition alliance has also planned a major demonstration at Ramlila Ground on Sunday under the slogan 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao'.
The Congress and its allies have demanded Kumar's resignation, alleging that the electoral roll revision has resulted in the exclusion of eligible voters and questioning the Election Commission's conduct.
The Election Commission has maintained that the revision process is intended to identify ineligible and duplicate entries while providing mechanisms for eligible voters to seek inclusion.
Shah's challenge has added another dimension to the confrontation between the government and the Opposition over electoral transparency, with both sides continuing to defend sharply different positions on the SIR exercise.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.