Union Home Minister Amit Shah has challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to take his criticism of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to Parliament, rather than holding protests on the streets. Addressing a public rally in Karnal, Haryana, Shah said the government was ready to convene a special session of Parliament to discuss the SIR exercise and asked Gandhi to formally write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi if he wanted a debate.
"I want to challenge Rahul Gandhi directly. You challenge PM Modi for a discussion? If you want a discussion, simply write a letter to PM Modi. We are ready to convene a special session of Parliament to discuss the SIR exercise. Come and debate in Parliament," Shah said.
The Home Minister's remarks came amid an escalating political confrontation between the BJP and Congress over the electoral revision exercise and the opposition's demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Shah also questioned the Congress's allegations that SIR was being used to influence election results. Pointing to the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, 2019 and 2024, he argued that the Congress had suffered electoral defeats even when no such revision exercise was conducted.
"Where was the SIR in 2014? You were completely wiped out even then. Where was SIR in 2019? You lost. There was no SIR in 2024 either, yet you lost again," he said.
He further claimed that the Congress had faced defeats in Haryana and Maharashtra despite there being no SIR exercise in those elections. Shah accused the opposition of repeatedly disrupting parliamentary proceedings and taking political disputes to the streets instead of allowing discussions inside the House.
Taking another swipe at Rahul Gandhi, the Home Minister alleged that opposition protests in the national capital had failed to attract the numbers claimed by Congress leaders. He also warned that BJP workers would give a fitting political response if Gandhi continued to mobilise crowds on the streets.
Shah additionally raised questions about Gandhi's foreign visits, arguing that as the Leader of the Opposition, his travel details were a matter of public interest.
The latest exchange has intensified the political confrontation between the ruling BJP and the Congress. While Rahul Gandhi has demanded a direct discussion with the Prime Minister over electoral concerns, Shah has turned the challenge around, insisting that Parliament is the appropriate platform for such a debate.
The controversy surrounding SIR and the Election Commission is likely to remain a major political flashpoint, with both sides continuing to trade allegations over electoral transparency and the functioning of democratic institutions.
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