Lok Sabha Erupts in Heated Clash Between Rahul Gandhi and Amit Shah Over Electoral Reforms

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday saw a tense showdown between Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Home Minister Amit Shah as a debate on electoral reforms spiralled into sharp exchanges and uproar.

Shah defended the special intensive revision (SIR) of voter lists as essential to removing undocumented migrants, while Rahul Gandhi challenged him to debate remarks he made at a press conference alleging “vote theft.”

Opposition Accuses Shah of Reading a ‘Script’

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi criticised Shah’s response, alleging the Home Minister merely “read a script” and failed to address concerns raised by Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Kalyan Banerjee and Supriya Sule.

“He said the voter list is polluted—did he not see it when they were dreaming of 400 paar?” Gogoi asked, adding that Congress had repeatedly complained to the Election Commission.

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate accused Shah of reading out “passages from WhatsApp University,” questioning his claims about infiltrators and contrasting UPA-era deportation figures with those under the NDA.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reacted sharply, saying, “If someone is truly blameless, they don’t need such a long explanation.”

Chaos and Walkout

The Opposition staged a walkout during Shah’s speech, prompting strong reactions from BJP MPs. Tejasvi Surya called the walkout “utterly shameful,” accusing Rahul Gandhi of leaving as Shah was answering “each of his questions.”

Surya criticised the Opposition for repeatedly disrupting Parliament over SIR and EVM issues, saying they lacked the “courtesy and conviction” to hear the Home Minister’s response.

NDA Leaders Back Shah

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Shah’s address as “outstanding,” saying he had used “concrete facts” to highlight the strength of India’s electoral system and expose the “lies of the Opposition.”

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Shah had taken the Opposition’s “propaganda on SIR to the cleaners.”

Union Minister Piyush Goyal also defended SIR, arguing it would make the voter list “transparent and clean.” He accused the Opposition of walking out because they “lack public support but enjoy support from infiltrators.”

Goyal added, “They cannot benefit this country by winning elections based on infiltration. The people of Bihar have proven this.”