Shah attacks Cong, hails PM for resolve, leadership

Amit Shah used the occasion to underline the Modi government’s national achievements

Union home minister Amit Shah attacked the Congress on Wednesday, accusing the opposition party of organising what he called a “Ghuspaithiya Bachao Yatra” to protect infiltrators and secure their votes in upcoming elections. He also demanded that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi clarify whether infiltrators should remain on the country’s electoral rolls.

Home Minister Amit Shah during the launch ceremony of various development projects for Delhi on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 75th Birthday at Thyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Sanchit Khanna/ Hindustan Times)

“Rahul Gandhi is carrying out a ‘Ghuspaithiya Bachao Yatra’. They want to win elections on the strength of infiltrators. He wants infiltrators to remain in our voter list because they don’t have faith in the people of this country,” Shah said.

The remarks came days after Rahul Gandhi led the “Voter Adhikar Yatra” in Bihar, protesting against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the poll-bound state.

Shah, however, defended the revision, calling it necessary to “cleanse” voter lists and ensure fair elections.

He was speaking at Delhi’s Thyagaraj Stadium, where he inaugurated 17 welfare projects worth ₹1,723 crore under the Centre’s Seva Pakhwada (service fortnight), an initiative observed annually since 2014 to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday on September 17.

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta, who shared the stage with Shah, said a total of 75 welfare schemes will be rolled out across the capital during the fortnight. She credited Modi’s leadership for ensuring unprecedented Centre–state cooperation “free from political discrimination,” and praised Shah’s “resolve in strengthening India’s security.”

“Under Modi Ji’s guidance, Delhi is moving rapidly towards becoming a Viksit Delhi. His vision treats power not as privilege but as service, and that is why his birthday is marked as Seva Pakhwada,” she said.

Shah used the occasion to underline the Modi government’s national achievements, crediting the prime minister with abolishing Article 370, raising India’s global economic ranking from 11th to 4th, and steering the country towards becoming the third-largest economy by 2027. He also urged Delhiites to shop more during the upcoming festival season, noting that GST rates on essential household items had been reduced to 0–5%, but emphasised: “Make sure you buy only goods made in India.”

Among Modi’s landmark decisions, Shah said, was the fulfilment of the long-standing demand to build a Ram Temple in Ayodhya. He also cited the construction of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, restoration of the Somnath Temple, and the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor as examples of the PM resolving “long-pending national aspirations.”

The projects launched on Wednesday spanned health, education, sanitation, social welfare, and public safety.

In healthcare, five new hospital blocks were unveiled along with 101 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and 150 dialysis machines. Ten new resource centres for children with special needs will serve 12,500 students through therapies and assistive technologies. Social welfare initiatives included the Savitri Bai Phule Home in Paschim Vihar for senior citizens, the Atal Drishti Home in Timarpur for visually impaired girl students, and the Atal Asha Home in Narela, equipped to rehabilitate 220 intellectually disabled citizens. Additionally, persons with high-support disabilities will now receive monthly financial aid of ₹6,000, while 50,000 new beneficiaries have been added to the old age assistance scheme.

In the sanitation and energy sectors, the government launched a new waste-to-energy plant in Narela–Bawana capable of processing 3,000 tonnes of waste per day. The Okhla facility’s capacity was also expanded from 1,950 to 2,950 tonnes. “From the massive garbage mounds that once shamed the people of Delhi, the Modi government is starting to generate electricity. The mountains of waste taller than the Qutub Minar will now vanish,” Shah said.

Public safety initiatives featured prominently. The Netra-Nari-Netritva project handed over 75 AI-enabled drones -- developed by city students -- to Delhi Police, with a focus on training women personnel. The Delhi Fire Service also inducted 24 compact quick-response vehicles to improve reach in congested neighbourhoods.

Welcoming Shah, Gupta said his presence “enhanced the dignity” of the programme, while reaffirming the state government’s alignment with the Centre’s mission.

Shah, in turn, reminded the gathering that Seva Pakhwada has for 11 years combined Modi’s birthday celebrations with mass welfare drives. “Regardless of which party ruled Delhi, the PM has always ensured the capital receives more than its due. Yet, some past governments chose not to implement schemes like the ₹5 lakh health insurance programme. Today, the people of Delhi finally have access to them,” he said.