Amit Shah accuses Rahul Gandhi of protecting infiltrators' votes amid poll row

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday accused Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi of raising "vote theft" allegations to safeguard the votes of "infiltrators," while launching major infrastructure projects in New Delhi. Addressing a public event in Dwarka on his birthday, Shah also targeted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over its governance record in the national capital and Punjab.

The remarks come amid ongoing protests by the INDIA bloc against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The opposition has alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demanded the CEC's resignation, claims the Election Commission has rejected while maintaining the process is legally backed.

Shah dismissed these allegations as a deflection tactic by the Congress to explain its electoral defeats. "Rahul ji, you keep talking about vote theft because you want to protect the votes of infiltrators," Shah said, adding that the opposition only questions democratic institutions when they lose elections. He asserted that the Congress and its allies have been out of power in several states for decades, a trend that began long before Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office.

Beyond political rhetoric, the Home Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 43 Delhi Jal Board projects valued at Rs 8,941 crore. These initiatives aim to improve sewage treatment, expand sewer connections, and reduce pollution in the Yamuna River, with Shah committing to clean the river by May 2029. He criticized previous Congress and AAP governments for allowing untreated sewer water to discharge into the river.

Turning to poll-bound Punjab, Shah attacked the AAP government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the drug menace. He predicted that the AAP would be "routed" in the upcoming state elections and expressed confidence that the NDA would form the government to end drug trafficking in the state. He also criticized AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal for practising politics through protests while neglecting civic issues like garbage clearance in Delhi.

Shah’s aggressive rhetoric highlights a strategic shift by the ruling party to counter the opposition’s narrative on electoral integrity. By linking the "vote chori" claims to "infiltrators," the Home Minister is attempting to pivot the discourse from institutional accountability to national security and demographic concerns. Furthermore, his predictions of the Congress being out of power for 30 years underscore the BJP's intent to keep the opposition on the defensive ahead of future electoral battles.

As the political temperature rises over the electoral roll revision, the exchange sets the stage for a prolonged confrontation between the ruling alliance and the INDIA bloc. With both sides digging in over the integrity of the electoral process, the debate is likely to dominate parliamentary proceedings and public discourse in the coming weeks.