A sharp debate was witnessed in the Lok Sabha between Home Minister Amit Shah and Rahul Gandhi on the issue of SIR and vote theft.
SNPNEWS.IN News (Gurmail Kamboj): On November 10, during the Winter Session of the Lok Sabha, a heated debate took place between the country’s Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress leader (and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi on the SIR and vote theft case. Rahul had openly challenged the Home Minister to a direct debate on this subject, but Shah rejected it, saying, “I myself will decide what to say.”
The reason for this debate is the ongoing special campaign by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to update voter lists and remove fake voters (such as infiltrators). This process was implemented across the country in 2025. The opposition parties (including Congress) claim that this is a tool used by the BJP for vote theft, while the government calls it a plan to strengthen the electoral process.
Additionally, Rahul held three press conferences in November 2025 where he alleged that the BJP, in collusion with the ECI, committed vote theft in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. He described it as something like a “hydrogen bomb.”
Challenging the Home Minister Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi said, “Debate with me on the allegations from my three press conferences (lakhs of fake voters in Haryana, Maharashtra). Why did you give full immunity to the Election Commissioners?”
Amit Shah replied: “I myself will decide what to say, not you.” Later, Rahul said, “Shah ji was nervous and his hands were trembling.” The opposition staged a walkout from the session and left. Shah called this “running away from the field.”Amit Shah’s Response: Shah described Rahul’s allegations as a “false narrative” and said the opposition wants to stop SIR so that infiltrators can continue voting. In his statement, he counterattacked with three examples of vote theft:
● Jawaharlal Nehru (1946): Sardar Patel got 12 votes, but Nehru was made Congress President with 3 votes, who later became Prime Minister after independence.
● Indira Gandhi (1975): When the court invalidated her election, she [made a law so that no case could be filed against her].
● Sonia Gandhi: A case is ongoing in the Delhi High Court on how she became a voter before becoming an Indian citizen.
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Shah said, “Congress’s defeat is certain; the voter list is not changing.” He also said that SIR happened during previous governments as well, but Congress did not protest then. During his address, the Home Minister used the word “sala” while addressing the Election Commission, upon hearing which BJP leaders Ravneet Singh Bittu and several others sitting on the seats behind the Home Minister were seen smiling, which became a matter of controversy.
The opposition parties, including Congress, are condemning the Home Minister’s use of the word “sala” for the Election Commission, saying that the words coming out of the Home Minister’s mouth show how much respect the BJP government has for the country’s institutions. The opposition is pressuring the Home Minister to apologize for his words.
After the speech, the opposition staged a walkout. A video went viral on X where Shah was shown saying “sala Election Commission,” which the opposition presented as an abuse. The BJP called it an edited video and sought an apology.