Amit Shah Challenges Rahul Gandhi to Debate on SIR, Says Government Ready for Special Parliament Session

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has openly challenged Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to a debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, asserting that the government is ready to discuss the issue at any public place in Haryana. He also said the government would be willing to convene a special session of Parliament to debate the matter.

Shah made the remarks on Thursday while addressing BJP workers on the concluding day of the party’s ‘Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy’ march in Karnal, Haryana. He launched a sharp attack on Rahul Gandhi and accused the Congress of creating unrest on the streets instead of raising important issues through parliamentary discussions.

The Home Minister said Rahul Gandhi carries a copy of the Constitution but does not respect parliamentary traditions and constitutional positions. He maintained that issues such as Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), SIR and infiltration should be discussed in Parliament, but alleged that the Opposition was avoiding meaningful debates.

Taking a dig at the Congress over its electoral performance in Haryana, Shah also targeted former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. He remarked that Hooda was confident of forming the government, even preparing for celebrations by wearing a new suit and eating jalebis. However, the Congress fell behind by the fifth round of counting, while the BJP formed the government under Nayab Singh Saini’s leadership.

Shah further alleged that the Congress was losing elections because of its own weaknesses rather than the SIR exercise. Referring to the BJP’s electoral victories in Maharashtra, Bihar, Delhi, Assam, West Bengal and Puducherry, he advised Rahul Gandhi to introspect instead of questioning the electoral process.

Shah Makes Claims Over Voter List Irregularities

Speaking about alleged irregularities in electoral rolls, Shah claimed that out of 13 crore voters, around 2.8 crore had died, while 6.25 crore had shifted to other states. He further claimed that nearly one crore voters were registered at multiple locations.

Alleging that some of the remaining entries involved infiltrators, Shah said such individuals would be identified and removed from the electoral rolls.

The BJP’s ‘Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy’ march began from Sector 12 in Karnal and concluded at Dayanand Chowk. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Smriti Irani and several other BJP leaders and party workers participated in the programme.

Shah’s challenge to Rahul Gandhi has intensified the political confrontation between the BJP and Congress over the SIR exercise and the credibility of electoral rolls.