Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi amid the INDIA bloc's protest in Delhi, saying his turn to become the prime minister would never come.
“If you want to become PM, stay in mock parliament your entire life; your turn won't come,” Shah said in Chandigarh, addressing Gandhi, news agency PTI reported. The remarks came a day after the INDIA bloc held a mock Parliament session to ‘publicly impeach’ chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who faces allegations of irregularities in the electoral processes.
Speaking in Chandigarh, Shah criticised Gandhi for holding a rally in the capital on November 1, the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. “The day the Sikh genocide happened, on that very day, they had to hold a rally,” he said, adding that it would “rub salt on the wounds” of the victims.
Deep Dive
Why did Amit Shah say Rahul Gandhi would never become prime minister?
What was the INDIA bloc protesting at Ramlila Maidan?
Why did Amit Shah object to the timing of Rahul Gandhi’s rally?
The home minister targeted the INDIA bloc's protest being held in Delhi on Sunday. Opposition leaders and supporters in large numbers gathered at Ramlila Maidan for the ‘Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao’ rally against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, over alleged discrepancies in electoral rolls and concerns surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Track INDIA bloc march LIVE updates here.
INDIA bloc leaders march to Ramlila Maidan
{{/usCountry}}Track INDIA bloc march LIVE updates here.
INDIA bloc leaders march to Ramlila Maidan
{{/usCountry}}INDIA bloc's ‘Chalo Dilli’ march began at the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction on Sunday, with leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee proceeding towards Ramlila Maidan.
The rally was attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, CPI leader D Raja, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and other INDIA bloc leaders, news agency ANI reported.
The protest follows a mock impeachment programme against CEC Gyanesh Kumar held on October 31 at Kharge's residence.
Meanwhile, the BJP organised a march in Delhi's Hari Nagar area on Sunday to protest against the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The march was led by Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri and joined by various Sikh organisations, PTI reported.
In Chandigarh, Shah also attacked the Congress over the 1984 riots, saying thousands of people had been killed.
Separately, BJP leader and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan participated in the party's ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao’ (Save Democracy, End Anarchy) padayatra in Faridabad on Sunday, where he targeted Rahul Gandhi and the Congress.
Pradhan was accompanied by Union minister of state Krishan Pal Gurjar, minister of state Rajesh Nagar, Haryana sports minister Gaurav Gautam, several MLAs and party workers during the march, organised as part of the BJP's nationwide campaign.
Addressing the gathering, Pradhan alleged that the Congress and Rahul Gandhi had lost faith in democracy, the Constitution, Parliament and the Election Commission.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)