Amit Shah's fiery response to Rahul Gandhi: No Congress govt in Bengal for 54 yrs, is that because of SIR?

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his criticism of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. Shah said the Congress should prepare for another defeat in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

"I also wish to tell Shri Rahul and his associates to brace themselves for a crushing defeat in 2029. The NDA is set to secure a massive majority in the 2029 general elections, and the Congress is headed for yet another defeat - its fourth consecutive loss," Shah said.

The Home Minister said the BJP had secured a major victory in Rajasthan's local body elections, winning 90% of municipal corporations, 66% of municipal councils and 65% of municipalities.

He also said the Aam Aadmi Party had forfeited its security deposit in more than 85% of the wards in Rajasthan.

Turning to Tripura, Shah said the NDA had won approximately 4,000 seats in village committee elections, securing a vote share of 77.5%. He claimed the Congress had won just 14 of the 4,600 seats.

Shah argued that the results undermined allegations that electronic voting machines were responsible for BJP victories.

"To those who cite ballot machines as the reason for the results, I would like to point out that these elections were conducted using ballot papers; this fact completely refutes the argument that ballot machines are what help the BJP win elections," he said.

'Is this the result of the SIR?'

The Home Minister questioned whether the Congress's electoral defeats over several decades could be attributed to the SIR, which he said came into effect only after 2024.

"For 33 years, no Congress Chief Minister has won in Tripura. In Bengal, the Congress party has not achieved a victory for 54 years," he said. "I want to ask Shri Rahul Gandhi directly: is this the result of the SIR? The SIR only came into effect after 2024."

He accused Gandhi of failing to connect with voters and relying on political demonstrations rather than grassroots engagement. "You cannot win the trust of the nation's people through fabricated media events and 'Jhooth Ki Goonj'," Shah said.

The Union Minister added that the Congress needed to understand the concerns of people living in villages, farming communities and remote regions.

Escalating his attack, Shah alleged that Gandhi and the Congress were using their opposition to the SIR to protect infiltrators, an accusation he did not substantiate in the statement.

"I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that the people of this country have fully understood your strategy of shielding infiltrators under the guise of the SIR, and they will no longer fall for your ruses," he said.

Shah also claimed that voters in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and several other states had repeatedly rejected the Congress.

He thanked voters in Tripura, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bengal and Assam for supporting the BJP and NDA, saying their electoral choices reflected continued confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The people of this country stand with Narendra Modi, the BJP, and the NDA. You cannot deny this truth," Shah said.