Union Home Minister Amit Shah has criticised the Opposition’s protests over alleged “vote theft”, saying political parties cannot win elections by organising dharnas and demonstrations. He said parties should instead focus on working for public welfare.
Shah targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi while defending his prediction that the Bharatiya Janata Party would remain in power for the next 30 years. He accused Opposition parties of refusing to accept electoral defeats while supporting democratic institutions when election results went in their favour.
“You cannot gather party cadres from neighbouring states, stage dharnas in Delhi and reject the people’s mandate,” Shah said.
He alleged that Congress and its allies changed their position on the Election Commission, voter lists and electronic voting machines according to the outcome of elections.
Referring to Opposition victories in different states, Shah questioned why the electoral process was considered credible when rival parties won but was challenged when they lost. He cited Telangana and Himachal Pradesh, saying the Election Commission and voter lists were regarded as valid after victories there.
Shah also referred to Tamil Nadu, where parties supported by Gandhi had won, and accused the Opposition of following a similar approach towards the judiciary. He said court verdicts were accepted when they favoured the Opposition but rejected when they went against it, calling this a “double standard”.
Defending his forecast of a prolonged BJP rule, Shah said it was based on his understanding of the public and the Opposition’s political approach. He argued that the negative politics being pursued by the Opposition would prevent it from forming a government.
The Home Minister also criticised Gandhi’s foreign travel, contrasting it with his own presence among people in India. Shah reiterated that Gandhi would not get another opportunity to form a government for 30 years, claiming that voters understood the Opposition’s conduct and were observing its actions.
Shah further spoke about efforts to clean the Yamuna. He accused previous Congress and AAP governments in Delhi of allowing sewage discharge into the river and said the BJP government had reduced the discharge.
Taking aim at AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Shah said the “politics of excuse” would not protect the party in the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls. He claimed that people in Punjab wanted an NDA government and predicted that the AAP would be routed in the election.
Shah also asserted that the drug trafficking problem in Punjab would be ended after an NDA government was formed in the state.