Union Home Minister Amit Shah targeted Rahul Gandhi and Congress over the opposition rally organized at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi. He termed holding the rally on the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as insensitive towards the families of the victims. Questions were also raised on the mock parliament of the opposition.
Chandigarh: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday, November 1 launched a scathing attack on the Delhi rally of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the opposition alliance. Addressing the inauguration and foundation stone laying ceremony of development projects in Chandigarh, Shah said that holding a political rally at Ramlila Maidan on the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots is like hurting the sentiments of the victims' families. He accused Congress of not learning lessons from history. He also took a jibe at the opposition's symbolic Parliament against the Election Commission and Rahul Gandhi's political ambitions.
Amit Shah raised questions on holding rally on November 1
On Sunday, the opposition alliance organized a 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao' rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan. Leaders and workers of many opposition parties including Congress participated in it. Regarding this rally, Amit Shah targeted Rahul Gandhi from Chandigarh.
Shah said that the date of November 1 is associated with very painful memories for the Sikh community. After the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984, there was anti-Sikh violence in many parts of the country including Delhi. A large number of people lost their lives and thousands of families were affected.
The Home Minister alleged that Congress did not take into account the sentiments of the victims by organizing a political program on such a sensitive date. He said that Rahul Gandhi's rally is like sprinkling salt on the old wounds of the Sikh riot victims.
According to Shah, BJP had already appealed to Congress that such a program should not be organized between November 1 and 3. Despite this the opposition did not change the date of the rally.
Rajiv Gandhi's old statement was also mentioned
In his address, Amit Shah also mentioned the old statement of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, which has been a subject of controversy for a long time in the context of the 1984 violence.
He said that a large number of innocent people had lost their lives during the anti-Sikh riots. Many families had to leave their homes and children lost their parents. Shah alleged that the Congress leadership at that time did not take the plight of the victims seriously enough.
The Home Minister criticized the Congress, recalling Rajiv Gandhi's statement regarding the fall of a big tree and earth shaking. He said that the country cannot forget the violence of that period and the pain of the families affected by it.
Amit Shah also claimed that after the formation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, action was taken again in old cases related to the 1984 riots. He said that the government took steps towards providing financial assistance to the victim's families and taking legal action against the culprits.
Taunted on Rahul Gandhi's mock parliament also
Apart from the anniversary of anti-Sikh riots, Amit Shah also criticized Rahul Gandhi over the opposition's mock parliament. He said that if Rahul Gandhi wants to become Prime Minister then he should remain in such a symbolic Parliament.
In fact, the opposition alliance had organized a symbolic 'public impeachment' program against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday, October 31. In this, opposition leaders had raised questions regarding alleged irregularities in the voter list and the functioning of the Election Commission.
Amit Shah commented on the political strategy of Congress regarding this program. He also accused the opposition of spreading misinformation and disrupting the functioning of Parliament.
However, the opposition says that its protest is related to the accuracy of the voter list, the accountability of the Election Commission and the voting rights of the citizens.
Opposition gathered against Election Commission in Ramlila Maidan
The main issue of the opposition alliance's rally held in Delhi was the Special Intensive Revision of Voter List (SIR) and alleged irregularities in the election process.
Many opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, raised questions on the role of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The opposition alleged that the rights of eligible voters could be affected due to the deletion of a large number of names from the voter list.
The Election Commission has already rejected the allegations of political bias in the voter list. According to the Commission, the objective of checking the voter list is to identify ineligible and duplicate names and prepare the correct list.
Amidst this political opposition, Amit Shah cornered Congress regarding the date of the rally. Instead of the election questions raised by the opposition, he made the historical sensitivity related to the violence of 1984 the main issue of his address.
Program of projects worth Rs 258 crore in Chandigarh
Amit Shah had arrived on Sunday to attend the 60th Foundation Day of Chandigarh and the 60th Foundation Day of Chandigarh Police. During this, he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various development projects worth about Rs 258 crore.
In his address, he also talked about the development of Chandigarh, administrative system and the problem of drug addiction in Punjab. Shah said that the central government aims to work towards making the entire country including Punjab drug free by December 2029.
During this program, he reacted to the ongoing opposition rally in Delhi. After Shah's allegations, the date of November 1 and the memory of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots have once again come to the center of political discussion.
At present, no confirmed detailed response has come from Rahul Gandhi and Congress on these latest allegations of Amit Shah.