Shah made the remarks while launching projects worth Rs 8,941 crore for cleaning the Yamuna River in Delhi's Najafgarh area. During the event, he alleged that opposition parties were attempting to protect infiltrators' voting rights by repeatedly raising the issue of vote theft.
“Another game is being played in Delhi. The BJP is continuously being elected to power, and they have a stomach ache because of it. That is why they have made vote theft an excuse,” Shah said, targeting the opposition over its demonstrations against the electoral process.
Addressing Rahul Gandhi, the Union Home Minister said, “You cannot invalidate the people's mandate through such political tactics and mob pressure. If you want to win elections, stay among the people and inquire about their joys and sorrows. Protests and demonstrations achieve nothing. Wherever you have been elected, introduce schemes and work to resolve people's suffering, distress and problems caused by disorder. Otherwise, whatever little support you have left will also disappear, and nobody will be able to stop it.”
Shah also challenged allegations that the BJP did not win elections through popular votes. “They say the BJP does not get elected through popular votes and instead steals votes. Rahul ji, the entire country understands you and your colleagues, and people have already understood your intentions. By repeatedly shouting ‘vote theft’, you want to protect the votes of infiltrators,” he said.
Shah cited the electoral history of several states to argue that the Congress had been losing elections long before Narendra Modi became Prime Minister. He said the party frequently blamed electronic voting machines (EVMs) and vote theft instead of examining its electoral performance.
“From this stage today, I want to tell the Congress party and its allies that sometimes you make excuses about EVMs and sometimes about vote theft. But let me tell you that even before the Modi government came to power at the Centre, you had already stopped winning elections in several states,” Shah said.
The senior BJP leader listed Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, Delhi and Assam while outlining what he described as the Congress's prolonged electoral setbacks.
According to Shah, the Congress had not formed a government in Gujarat for 41 years and had not won even a single election there during that period. He claimed that the party had not won elections in Uttar Pradesh for 41 years, West Bengal for 54 years and Tamil Nadu for 64 years.
He further said the Congress had not formed a government with a full majority in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh for 28 years. Shah also claimed that the party had not returned to power in Arunachal Pradesh for two years, Mizoram for 13 years, Manipur for 14 years, Delhi for 18 years and Assam for 12 years.
“Did all this begin before Prime Minister Modi came to power?” Shah asked, referring to the opposition's allegations. He added that when he predicted that the BJP would remain in power for 30 years, opposition leaders accused him of referring to vote theft.
Shah then defended his prediction of three decades of BJP rule, saying his long association with the country and its people informed his political assessment.
“Brother, Amit Shah was born here, lives here and will die here. I do not have to go abroad every six months. I will remain among the people of this country. Given the kind of negative politics you are practising, I say that your government will never be formed for the next 30 years. Remember my words,” he said.
The Home Minister also questioned what he described as the opposition's inconsistent stand on the Election Commission, electoral rolls and EVMs. Referring to elections in Kerala, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, he argued that opposition parties accepted the electoral system when results favoured them but questioned its credibility after losing.
“Elections were held in Kerala just recently. The same electoral rolls, the same Election Commissioner and the same EVMs were in place, yet you declared that you had won and that the Election Commission was good. You won in Telangana, and the Election Commission was good,” Shah said.
He continued, “You won in Himachal, and the Election Commission and electoral rolls were good. In Tamil Nadu, those you supported won, and the Election Commission and electoral rolls were good. But wherever you lose, the Election Commission is not acceptable to you.”
Shah extended his criticism to the judiciary, accusing opposition leaders of applying different standards depending on the outcome of court decisions.
“If the courts rule in your favour, they are good. If they deliver a verdict against you, the courts are no longer acceptable. These double standards will not work, Rahul ji. The people have understood you,” he said.
Referring to the INDIA bloc's recent demonstrations in Delhi, Shah alleged that opposition parties were gathering cadres from neighbouring states to challenge the public mandate through protests.
“You cannot gather cadres from neighbouring states, organise demonstrations in Delhi and invalidate the people's mandate. I have come here today to say that the people of this country are watching you and understand what you are doing,” Shah said.
His remarks came amid opposition demonstrations against the SIR exercise and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with Shah defending the electoral process and challenging Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders to focus on public concerns rather than questioning election results.
About The Author
Comment List