Shah dares Rahul Gandhi to debate SIR in Parliament, says BJP ready for special session

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday addressed the concluding programme of the BJP's "Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy" padyatra in Karnal, Haryana. He criticised the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, and challenged Gandhi to come to Parliament and debate.

Shah alleged that instead of debating in Parliament, the Congress was practising the politics of disruption and boycott. He also made it clear that the BJP was ready to call a special session of Parliament to discuss the SIR process.

Shah said the "Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy" campaign was run at the BJP's main offices across the country from October 22 to November 5. He said it drew a large response from across the country.

Raising the issue of defeats, Shah claimed that Narendra Modi became Prime Minister for a third consecutive term in 2024 and that the Congress lost in various elections afterwards. According to him, the Congress was defeated in Haryana and Maharashtra, while the BJP won in Delhi, Assam and elsewhere.

Shah said Rahul Gandhi was blaming the Election Commission for the defeats. He said the Congress had also lost the 2014, 2019 and 2024 elections, when there was no SIR process, and asked what the reason for those defeats was.

Shah alleged that in a democracy Parliament is the highest forum for debate, but Rahul Gandhi does not let it function. He said that instead of discussing important issues, there is disruption and boycott.

Shah said that if Rahul Gandhi wanted to hold a discussion, he should write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the BJP was ready for a discussion on the SIR process in a special session of Parliament. Shah also challenged Gandhi that if he wished to debate on the street, he should name any place in Haryana and the president of the BJP Yuva Morcha would come for the debate.

Alleging that the Congress was opposing the SIR process, Shah also spoke on the issue of infiltrators. He said the Congress rally was not to save voters' votes but to save infiltrators. He declared that the BJP would identify infiltrators, remove their names from the electoral rolls and then begin action to expel them from the country.

Shah also questioned Rahul Gandhi's political career. He claimed that when Gandhi became a general secretary of the Congress in 2007, the party had 1,200 MLAs. Shah said Gandhi then became vice-president and president, and the number of MLAs kept falling. He said the Congress's political strength was declining under Gandhi's leadership, while the number of BJP MLAs and MPs was growing under Modi.