Rahul Gandhi on Thursday sharpened his criticism of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, claiming the senior BJP leader appeared “nervous” and “under a lot of mental pressure” during the heated Lok Sabha debate on electoral reforms a day earlier.
Speaking to reporters, the Leader of the Opposition alleged that Shah used “wrong language” and avoided answering direct questions raised by the Opposition.
“Amit Shah ji was very nervous in Parliament yesterday. His hands were trembling, he used the wrong language. He is under a lot of mental pressure — the whole country saw it,” Gandhi said.
Gandhi added that he openly challenged the Home Minister to a detailed debate on the allegations he had raised in his recent press conference on “vote chori”, but claimed Shah offered “no reply and no evidence”.
“The things I said, he did not address. I challenged Amit Shah ji to debate me on the claims I made. No response came to that either,” Gandhi remarked. “What the truth is, you all know.”
Wednesday’s Lok Sabha session saw a fierce verbal showdown between the two leaders as a debate on electoral reforms quickly descended into a confrontational face-off.
Shah defended the government’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, arguing it was necessary to identify illegal immigrants and clean up voter lists. Gandhi, however, pressed him to directly address Opposition allegations that the BJP and the Election Commission had colluded to commit large-scale voter fraud.
When Gandhi demanded an immediate response to his accusations, Shah rebuked him sharply, asserting his authority on the floor of the House.
“I have extensive legislative experience. The Leader of the Opposition cannot dictate the order of my speech. He should listen patiently. I will answer everything, but not in the order he demands,” Shah said.
The Home Minister then launched a strong attack on the Gandhi-Nehru family, claiming the “first instance of vote theft” occurred during the selection of India’s first Prime Minister. He also referenced a past court case alleging Sonia Gandhi cast a vote before acquiring Indian citizenship.
As tensions escalated, Gandhi and several opposition MPs staged a walkout mid-speech.
Later in the evening, Gandhi continued his offensive, saying Shah sidestepped every critical issue he raised — including voter list transparency, EVM accountability, and legal immunity granted to the Chief Election Commissioner.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gandhi described Shah’s reply in Parliament as “panicked” and “completely defensive”, adding that the Home Minister’s conduct clearly showed he was under pressure.
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