'Ready for special Parliament session': Amit Shah dares Rahul Gandhi to debate 'vote chori'

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to debate the Opposition's 'vote chori' allegations in Parliament, saying the government was ready to convene a special session to discuss the issue.

Leading the BJP's 'Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy' padayatra in Hyderabad, Shah accused the Congress of disrupting parliamentary proceedings while raising questions over Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged infiltration.

"Rahul ji, you don't allow Parliament to function. Be it EVMs, SIR or infiltrators, I challenge you from Hyderabad. We are ready to convene a special session of Parliament. Come for a debate," Shah said.

He claimed the Congress was unwilling to debate the issue, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would "shred Congress into pieces" if a special session was convened. He also accused the Opposition of seeking publicity through protests and creating an atmosphere of anarchy.

Taking a swipe at the INDIA bloc's 'Vote Bachao' rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, Shah dubbed it a 'Ghuspetiya Bachao' (Save Infiltrators) rally. He accused the Congress of opposing the SIR exercise to protect infiltrators who, he claimed, formed part of its vote bank.
"Should infiltrators be removed from the country or not? Should SIR be conducted or not? The entire Congress and its allies are engaged in stopping SIR because these infiltrators are their vote bank," he alleged

Shah also questioned Rahul Gandhi's criticism of EVMs, asking how the Congress had won Assembly elections in Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh if the machines were faulty.

Referring to the mock Parliament organised by the Opposition in Delhi, Shah took another dig at Rahul Gandhi, saying he should have played the role of Prime Minister in the exercise as he would never become one in the real Parliament. He also said the Congress was no match for Modi's popularity.

Shah's remarks came amid a fresh exchange between Rahul Gandhi and Modi over allegations of foreign interference in India's internal affairs.

Earlier on Monday, Gandhi challenged the Prime Minister to an open debate after Modi accused obstructionist forces of attempting to divide the country and using social media to spread rumours.

In a post on X, the Congress leader alleged that Modi had become Prime Minister with foreign assistance and continued to remain in office with such support. "Mr Modi, stop lying to this nation. You became PM because of foreign help. You remain PM because of foreign help," Gandhi wrote.

He also alleged that India's financial system was controlled and supported by foreign entities and that foreign social media platforms backed the Prime Minister. "I challenge you to an open debate about this. Any stage, any time. Come if you have the guts. You won't dare, because you are terrified of what I know about you," he said.

During his Gujarat visit on Saturday, Modi said, "When the country was seeking solutions to external challenges, some forces within the country were also creating instability by spreading lies and rumours. But the countrymen stood shoulder to shoulder with the nation."

Taking a swipe at the opposition, Modi said, “It is our misfortune that at this time in the country, the opposition has turned into an Avrodh Paksh rather than Virodh Paksh. In their frustration, these people are standing as obstacles in the way of the country’s development. This is not opposition; this is obstruction,” he said.