New Delhi, Dec 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) The BJP on Thursday supported Union Home Minister Amit Shah after he launched a sharp attack on the Congress party and other opposition parties in the Lok Sabha, accusing them of spreading lies about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), maligning India’s democratic processes, and asserting that the Narendra Modi government “will not allow infiltrators to get voting rights”.
Union Home Minister Shah's speech in the Lok Sabha during the debate on electoral reforms saw a fiery face-off between him and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
Speaking outside Parliament, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said, “The discussion was on election reforms, and the Home Minister presented his statement in the Lok Sabha yesterday. He responded to every point raised by the opposition, but they did not listen to his answers in full.”
Union Minister Virendra Kumar added, “What he said to safeguard the future of the coming generations is absolutely correct.”
BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said, “The Congress’ narrative was completely exposed. Amit Shah laid out historical facts and dismantled their claims. The conspiracy woven by Congress and other opposition parties was fully unmasked in the House yesterday.”
Samik Bhattacharya, BJP MP, said, “The BJP has long warned that a silent demographic shift is underway. In West Bengal, especially in border districts like Darjeeling and North Bengal, demographics are changing because of the influx of Rohingya and Bangladeshi immigrants.”
BJP MP Dinesh Sharma also backed HM Shah, saying, “The Home Minister precisely countered the false claims and propaganda spread by the Congress, and they had no reply.”
However, the Congress strongly criticised Amit Shah’s conduct in the House.
Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat said, “Amit Shah is a respected Home Minister, and the office has its own dignity. But the way he expressed himself yesterday did not reflect the conduct expected of someone in his position. His choice of words and body language were inappropriate. In Parliament, debates should be conducted through reasoned arguments, not gestures or physical demonstrations. His behaviour was unbecoming of a respected Home Minister.”
Bhagat further said, “We agree that India must decide how to identify infiltrators. But the narrative presented by the Home Minister should first acknowledge the government’s own surveillance failures. I am not part of the Home Ministry, nor am I in a position to determine who is infiltrating. I do not have that capability.”
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ashutosh Verma also criticised the BJP, stating, “The Home Minister and BJP leaders are excellent orators. I agree that infiltrators are dangerous to the country. But let the Home Minister clarify how many infiltrators have been caught during the SIR. Reports say that after scrutinising 65 lakh votes in Bihar, only three infiltrators were found. They aim to mislead the country and commit vote chori.”
During his speech on Wednesday, Amit Shah accused the opposition of double standards. He said they constantly highlight irregularities in existing voter rolls yet object to the SIR, which aims to update the lists and ensure only eligible voters are included.
“The voter lists are absolutely fine when you win -- you wear new clothes and take the oath. But when you fall flat, like in Bihar, you suddenly claim the voter list is faulty. These double standards will not work,” Shah said.
Taking a swipe at Rahul Gandhi’s press conferences on voter lists -- one of which he sarcastically referred to as a “Hydrogen Bomb” -- Shah said the Congress leader’s allegations of “vote chori” (vote theft) were ironic, given that “some families”, in an apparent reference to the Nehru-Gandhi family, were “generational vote chors”.
At this point, Gandhi interrupted and demanded that Shah first explain why Election Commissioners were being granted immunity for actions taken while in office. Accusing the Home Minister of selectively quoting from his press conferences, Gandhi issued a challenge: “Let us have a debate on my press conference. Amit Shah ji, I challenge you to debate the three press conferences.”
Shah responded: “Let me make something clear. I have been elected to legislative assemblies and Parliament for 30 years. I have extensive experience. The Leader of Opposition says he wants me to answer this or that question first. But Parliament will not run according to your wishes. I will decide the order in which I speak. He should wait patiently -- I will answer everything. He will not decide the order of my speech.”
Source: IANS
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