Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday launched a blistering attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, questioning his leadership, political ambitions and the party's electoral prospects while setting the tone for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections in 2027.
Addressing a gathering in Chandigarh, Shah took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi's 'Mohabbat Ki Dukaan' slogan, alleging that the Congress leader was spreading hatred instead of love.
"Rahul ji, you will find nothing but hatred in your shop of love," Shah said, turning one of Gandhi's prominent political slogans into an attack on the Congress leadership.
Slamming Rahul Gandhi's mock Parliament exercise, Shah suggested that the Congress leader had devised a new political strategy to fulfil his ambition of becoming prime minister.
"Rahul Gandhi wants to become Prime Minister, and that is why he has found a new way by organising a mock Parliament. Rahul ji, you can continue to remain Prime Minister in your mock Parliament. Your dream of becoming the Prime Minister of the country, however, will not be fulfilled," Shah said.
Also read: 'Make Him A Mock PM': BJP's Jibe At Rahul Gandhi Over 'Impeachment' Move
Shah also predicted another electoral setback for the Congress, referring to its poor performance in Delhi. He pointed out that the party had failed to open its account in the last three Delhi Assembly elections and claimed it would face the same fate in the next three elections.
"Congress has failed to win even a single seat in Delhi in the last three elections. I say that it will not open its account in the next three elections either. Get ready to sit in the Opposition once again," he said.
The Home Minister also referred to appeals reportedly made by Delhi traders to the Congress, asking the party not to organise its rally during the festive season.
The attack comes as political activity intensifies in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. The BJP is attempting to expand its political footprint in the state, with Shah repeatedly asserting that the party will seek a mandate to form its own government rather than remain a junior alliance partner.
Shah has made the drug menace the centrepiece of the BJP's Punjab election campaign, promising to make the state, along with the rest of the country, drug-free by December 31, 2029.
With AAP having already announced its first list of 40 candidates, the political battle in Punjab is beginning to gather momentum. Shah's remarks indicate that the BJP intends to take on both the Congress and AAP aggressively, making leadership, governance, the drug menace and national politics key themes of its campaign.
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