Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday launched a blistering attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Opposition over their protests against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, declaring that the Congress would remain out of power for the next 30 years because of what he called its “negative politics”.
Speaking at a gathering in Dwarka where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 43 Delhi Jal Board projects worth Rs 8,941 crore, Shah said the Opposition was questioning electoral outcomes instead of connecting with voters, and that demonstrations in Delhi would not help it win elections.
“Where you win, the Election Commission is doing well, but whenever you lose, the Election Commission is deemed faulty,” Shah said. “The way you are pursuing negative politics, you will not be able to win elections even in the next 30 years.” He added that the Congress’s turn would not come even in 2030.
The 30-year jibe at Rahul Gandhi
Shah’s remarks came after Rahul Gandhi held a press conference alleging large-scale vote theft, where the Congress leader played older statements by Shah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders, questioning how they seemed to know in advance how long the BJP would stay in power.
Responding to the allegations, Shah accused the Congress of hypocrisy. “Elections were just held in Kerala, same voter list, same Election Commissioner, same EVMs, you took the oath, you won the election, the Election Commission is good. You won in Telangana, the Election Commission is good. If you won in Himachal, the Election Commission is good,” he said. “And where you lose, the Election Commission is not good.”
The Home Minister also took a dig at Gandhi over reports that the Congress leader had travelled to Vietnam. “I know you can’t hear my voice. You’re sitting somewhere abroad, and you don’t even tell me why. But that’s okay, that’s your personal life. But once you land in Delhi, listen to me; your turn won’t come for the next 30 years,” Shah said.
“From the BJP’s booth worker to Narendra Modi, millions of workers live among the people. They know their pain and work hard to find solutions,” he said.
Shah defends the Election Commission
At the heart of the row is the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, of voter lists, which the Opposition claims is being used to delete genuine voters. Shah rejected the charge and accused Rahul Gandhi of raising vote-theft allegations to protect what he described as the vote bank of infiltrators.
He said the Opposition could not overturn the public mandate with protests. “You can’t deny the nation’s mandate with these kinds of political tactics and mob rule. If you want to win elections, live among the people. Protests will accomplish nothing.”
Yamuna cleaning gets a Rs 8,941 crore push
The political offensive came alongside a major infrastructure push. The 43 projects Shah launched cover wastewater treatment, drinking-water infrastructure and the rejuvenation of the Yamuna, which he called the backbone of the river’s purification. He said they represented more than 40 per cent of the journey towards cleaning the river.
Shah credited Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Minister Pravesh Verma for the work, and said Prime Minister Modi had convened a major meeting on the Yamuna within the first month of the new Delhi government’s formation. The Yamuna’s clean-up was a central BJP promise when it came to power in Delhi earlier this year after 27 years, wresting the capital from the Aam Aadmi Party.
Warning for Kejriwal and AAP in Punjab
Shah also targeted AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of relying on agitations while failing to fix basic civic problems in the capital. He said Kejriwal had done nothing to remove Delhi’s “towering heaps of garbage” at landfill sites, which the Centre was now clearing and converting into public gardens.
Turning to Punjab, where AAP is in power, Shah warned that voters would “root out” the party’s government, and accused the state administration of failing to curb drug abuse.
What happens next
The exchange sets the stage for a sharper confrontation over the electoral roll revision. INDIA bloc leaders are scheduled to meet through video conferencing on Thursday evening to discuss their strategy on the row over the Election Commission, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge chairing the meeting.
For the BJP, the message was unambiguous: fight elections on the ground, not on the streets of Delhi. The Congress, meanwhile, shows no sign of dropping its allegations around voter lists and the Commission’s neutrality.
- What did Amit Shah say about Rahul Gandhi?
Shah said the Congress would remain out of power for the next 30 years due to its negative politics, and took a dig at Gandhi over reports of his alleged visit to Vietnam. - Why is the Opposition protesting against the Election Commission?
The Opposition is opposing the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, alleging it could be used to delete genuine voters. Shah dismissed the allegations and defended the Commission. - What projects did Amit Shah launch in Delhi?
Shah launched 43 Delhi Jal Board projects worth Rs 8,941 crore covering wastewater treatment, drinking water and Yamuna rejuvenation. - What did Shah say about the AAP?
He accused Arvind Kejriwal of failing on Delhi’s civic problems like landfill sites and warned that voters would root out the AAP government in Punjab.
