Union Home Minister Amit Shah has invited the Opposition to engage in a parliamentary debate over allegations of vote theft, asserting the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) readiness to convene a special session of Parliament for this purpose. Speaking at a BJP state working committee meeting in Lucknow, Shah specifically challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav to substantiate their claims against the Election Commission within the parliamentary framework.
Shah’s comments come amid heightened tensions, with Opposition parties planning demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. These demonstrations, including a symbolic public impeachment event and a major protest at Delhi’s Ramlila Ground, aim to highlight what the Opposition perceives as threats to democratic institutions.
The INDIA bloc had initially scheduled the symbolic event at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence, but it was postponed due to unseasonal weather conditions. The controversy centers on the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which the Opposition argues could disproportionately impact certain voters to the advantage of the ruling BJP.
Amit Shah accused the Opposition of preferring street protests over parliamentary discourse, describing their allegations as baseless. He criticized the Congress and Samajwadi Party for attributing their electoral defeats to the Election Commission rather than acknowledging their own shortcomings. Shah defended the BJP’s electoral record and suggested that the Opposition’s allegations of vote theft were a response to their losses in recent elections.