Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Telangana Congress government at a BJP march in Hyderabad on Monday, according to WION. He also claimed that the BJP's Yuva Morcha president in Telangana could defeat Rahul Gandhi.
Key points
- Amit Shah spoke at the BJP's "Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao" march in Hyderabad.
- He accused Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of turning Telangana into an "ATM" for Congress leaders in Delhi.
- He said none of the six guarantees promised by Rahul Gandhi had been fulfilled.
- The march was organised against the Congress's alleged "false narrative" on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
What Shah said at the rally
Shah said the Congress party was "on a ventilator" and asked whether such a party could run a marathon alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing Rahul Gandhi, he said even the BJP Yuva Morcha president of Telangana would defeat him.
Turning to the state government, Shah alleged that Revanth Reddy had made the whole of Telangana an "ATM" for Congress leaders sitting in Delhi. He said the people of the state would never forgive the chief minister. He also said Rahul Gandhi had promised six guarantees and that "not even one" had been fulfilled.
Shah presented the BJP as the only party that could provide clean governance in the state. He said the party was on course to win Telangana, pointing to its wins in Maharashtra, Haryana, Delhi, Bihar, Bengal and Assam since 2024.
Remarks on EVMs and the SIR
The march was scheduled to begin at 4 pm near Nizam College and end at Moazzam Jahi Market junction, where Shah was to address a rally. The state BJP organised it in response to what it calls the Congress's "false narrative" on the SIR of electoral rolls.
On electronic voting machines, Shah asked Rahul Gandhi how Revanth Reddy became chief minister if EVMs were faulty. He also asked how the Congress came to power in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh. He said that when Congress wins, the credit goes to the people, but when it loses, it blames the EVMs.
The Hyderabad event came a day after the Congress held a "Vote Bachao" (Save the Vote) demonstration in New Delhi. Shah called that rally a pretence to "Save the Infiltrators". He alleged that by opposing the SIR, the Congress wanted to protect "Bangladeshi infiltrators" and win elections through "bogus voting".
Why it matters
The exchange shows how the SIR of electoral rolls has become a major political issue, with the BJP and the Congress holding rival events in Delhi and Hyderabad on consecutive days. Shah's speech also signals that the BJP is focusing on Telangana and is directly targeting the state's Congress government over its poll promises. The Congress's response to these remarks was not part of the WION report.
