Speaking at the Uttar Pradesh BJP state executive committee meeting in Lucknow on Friday, Shah said the BJP was prepared to discuss the issue in Parliament and had nothing to hide.
"I challenge you both right here and now: the Bharatiya Janata Party is fully prepared to discuss this in Parliament. We have nothing to hide. Let us convene a special session of Parliament," Shah said.
Targeting the Opposition, he alleged that its leaders had no intention of discussing the matter in Parliament and instead disrupted proceedings.
"But they have no intention of speaking there. They refuse to let Parliament function; instead, they just create a ruckus," he added.
The Congress had initially planned to organise a "mock parliament" but subsequently renamed the event "public impeachment". Although the party submitted notices seeking an actual impeachment, those notices were rejected, and it does not have the required numbers to pursue the move.
The mock parliament event was scheduled for Friday but was called off approximately two hours before its commencement because of rain in Delhi. It has now been rescheduled for Saturday, a day before the INDIA bloc's rally at Ramlila Ground against the CEC and the SIR. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is expected to move the "impeachment motion" during the event.
Shah also accused Rahul Gandhi of avoiding parliamentary discussions and taking the political confrontation to the streets.
"[Rahul Gandhi] will never discuss the issue in Parliament but will create a nuisance on the street," he said.
Highlighting the BJP's electoral victories in Haryana, Maharashtra, Bihar, Delhi, Puducherry, Assam and West Bengal, Shah said the Opposition had realised that it could not win elections. Referring to the developments in Bengal, he said, "After the events in Bengal, they have realised that they simply cannot win elections."
He further alleged that instead of accepting electoral defeats, the Opposition had started accusing the Election Commission of manipulating results.
"Instead of accepting defeat, they began accusing the umpire of cheating, claiming that votes were stolen," Shah said.
Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, has accused the Election Commission of undermining democracy and alleged that the government was attempting to prevent protesters from reaching Delhi.
The INDIA bloc has been holding protests since early October, demanding Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, suspension of the SIR and restoration of electoral rolls that existed before the revision exercise. The SIR has resulted in the deletion of approximately 13 crore names from electoral rolls, accounting for around 14 per cent of the pre-SIR numbers.
The controversy has also disrupted parliamentary proceedings in the past. During the 2025 Monsoon session, Parliament conducted little business apart from debates on Operation Sindoor, with repeated adjournments largely over the SIR in Bihar.
During the winter session, the government maintained that the Election Commission was an independent constitutional body and agreed to a debate on electoral reforms rather than a discussion specifically on the SIR.
During the debate on December 10, 2025, Rahul Gandhi challenged Shah to respond to his three press conferences on alleged "vote chori". Shah replied that he would decide the order of his own speech. Opposition MPs subsequently walked out of the House.
In April, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan rejected Opposition notices seeking a motion for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Shah's latest challenge came a day after the results of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections for 11 graduates' and teachers' seats were announced. The BJP won six seats, while the Samajwadi Party secured five. The result left the BJP at the same number of seats it held previously, while the SP retained three seats and added two more.
#WATCH | Lucknow | Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, "...'Rahul Baba,' I challenge both you and Akhilesh Yadav right here and now: the Bharatiya Janata Party is fully prepared to discuss this (CEC-SIR row) in Parliament. We have nothing to hide. Let us convene a special session of Parliament—but they have no intention of speaking there. They refuse to let Parliament function; instead, they just create a ruckus" In Haryana, the Bharatiya Janata Party formed the government after securing the highest number of seats. In Maharashtra, the NDA formed the government with the largest share of seats. In Bihar, for the first time, a Chief Minister from the Bharatiya Janata Party took office. In Delhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party formed the government after three decades. In Puducherry, the Bharatiya Janata Party formed the government once again. In Assam, we achieved a hat-trick by winning 100 seats, and in Bengal, we completely wiped out Mamata Didi. After the events in Bengal, they have realised that they simply cannot win elections. Naturally, when a team loses a match or a game, they should sit down and practice more—that is what is expected, isn't it? But 'Rahul Baba' is cut from a different cloth. The same goes for Akhilesh and others in the 'INDIA' alliance who are with him. Instead of accepting defeat, they began accusing the umpire of cheating, claiming that votes were stolen. 'Rahul Baba,' I challenge both you and Akhilesh Yadav right here and now: the Bharatiya Janata Party is fully prepared to discuss this in Parliament. We have nothing to hide. Let us convene a special session of Parliament—but they have no intention of speaking there. They refuse to let Parliament function; instead, they just create a ruckus"
— ANI (@ANI) October 30, 2026
Reacting to the outcome, Akhilesh Yadav described it as a "double defeat" for the BJP and said the results had laid the groundwork for the SP's victory in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, which are due in about five months.
Addressing the BJP state executive committee meeting in Lucknow, Shah also expressed confidence in the party's political position in Uttar Pradesh. Comparing the BJP government to "Angad's foot", a reference to a tale from the Ramayana, he said it remained firmly established in the state and would return to power for a third consecutive term with an overwhelming majority.
The exchange highlights the continuing political confrontation between the BJP and the INDIA bloc over electoral roll revisions, the Election Commission and demands for parliamentary scrutiny of the SIR.
About The Author
Comment List