I’ll decide what to say: Rahul Gandhi’s debate daring is retaliated against by Amit Shah

On Wednesday, Lok Sabha proceedings were made more dramatic by an intense confrontation between Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Amit Shah. The Congress MP stopped the Union Home Minister’s address to challenge him to a discussion on alleged vote stealing. The Lok Sabha was debating electoral reforms when the conflict occurred.

Amit Shah stated in the Lok Sabha that the opposition was concerned about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) because it will remove the names of illegal immigrants who cast ballots for them. But when Gandhi stopped Shah and challenged him to a debate on his favorite topic—alleged “vote chori”—tensions erupted.

“I challenge you to have a debate on my press conferences,” Gandhi said. Shah shot back immediately, “He (Rahul Gandhi) cannot decide what I speak, he has to learn to be patient. I will decide the order of my speech, I decide what to speak”.

Gandhi accused the BJP of engaging in vote stealing in concert with the Election Commission of India (ECI) at three press conferences earlier this year.  He gave examples of purported vote stealing in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Haryana during his three press appearances.

Gandhi’s interruption had little effect on Shah, who intensified his criticism of the Congress.  Gandhi’s “hydrogen bomb” was simply used, according to the Home Minister, to fabricate a story about “vote chori.”  Shah seemed to be referring to the Nehru-Gandhi family when he said that some families were generational “vote chors”.

As the opposition again attempted to intervene and raised slogans, Shah remarked, “Jab do bade bolte hai tab beech me nahi bolte (When two seniors are speaking, you should not interrupt).”

The Home Minister then went on to cite three alleged instances of vote theft during the Congress regime. He claimed that after Independence, Sardar Patel received 28 votes for the Congress presidency, but Jawaharlal Nehru, with two votes, went on to become the Prime Minister.

“This was vote chori… The second vote chori was by Indira Gandhi, when she granted herself immunity after a court set aside her election,” Shah said.

Continuing his tirade against the Congress, Shah further said, “The dispute of the third vote chori has just reached civil courts on how Sonia Gandhi became a voter before becoming a citizen of India.”

On Tuesday, a Delhi court issued a notice to veteran Congress leader Sonia Gandhi over irregularities in the manner her name was included in the electoral rolls in 1980-81 before she became an Indian citizen. The Congress, however, argued that Sonia never voted despite being named in the electoral rolls.