- "When the Congress is given time to speak (in Parliament), Rahul Gandhi is abroad," the Home Minister said
- Shah was speaking at the NDTV Power Play event on Saturday
- He was addressing Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi's allegations that they are not given time to speak
Tearing into the Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said attempts are being made to delegitimise democracy in India and allegations of 'vote theft' are made only when the BJP or its allies win an election.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV's CEO and Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal at the NDTV Power Play event on Saturday, Shah also took a dig at the leader of the Opposition's foreign trips and said the Congress has been complaining, without any basis, that it is not being given time to speak in Parliament.
"Attempts (to delegitimise democracy) have been made for the past 11 years and they have got an impetus after Rahul Gandhi became the main leader of the Congress and then the leader of the opposition. But I have complete faith in the people of the country, and the judiciary is also neutral. They (the opposition) hit the streets over every accusation and do not approach courts. They do not debate in Parliament either, and stage walkouts," the minister said.
Referring to allegations by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi that they are not given time to speak in Parliament, Shah said every party is granted time on a pro-rata basis, and the Congress has been allotted 10% more time than it should based on that calculation.
"But when the Congress is given time, Rahul Gandhi is abroad. And then he suddenly attends Parliament and says I want to speak today. It doesn't work like that. The Parliament is governed by rules. When it's the Congress' turn to speak, Rahul Gandhi decides who will talk. He can take that entire time for himself, but he does not have material. After saying 10 lines, he has issues. So they make up an excuse and walk out," he jeered.
"The Congress is in denial mode and can't accept any good thing that happens. If they win an election, they don't ask any questions of the Election Commission and rush to take oath. Why did they (the opposition) take oath in Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal? But if they lose, they cry 'cheating'. The people of the country also took them a little seriously initially, but they now know what the reality is. The Election Commission and judiciary are strong. We are a 75-year-old democracy and no one can influence it," he said.
Two-Thirds Majority
The first phase of voting in Bihar is on Thursday and Shah said he is confident the NDA will get a two-thirds majority, winning 160 of the 243 Assembly seats.
"NDA will win 160 seats in Bihar, form the government with a two-thirds majority," the minister said.
To a question on the chief ministerial face of the NDA, especially since the Mahagathbandhan has named RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Shah also reiterated that the polls will be fought under the leadership of JDU chief Nitish Kumar.
