New Delhi: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will target the NDA in Parliament over the next two days.
According to party insiders, Rahul will speak in the debate on electoral reforms on December 9th, which will also include the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in states. Priyanka will participate in the debate on December 8th, to mark the 150th anniversary of the national song Vande Mataram, which will be led by PM Modi.
In addition to Priyanka, Deepender Hooda, Gaurav Gogoi, and Bimal Akoijam are expected to speak during the Vande Mataram debate, while Praniti Shinde and Imran Masood will speak on the SIR issue.
The SIR issue has become a central focus of Rahul’s politics, as he has described the process as backdoor vote theft by the Election Commission at the behest of the BJP. In recent weeks, the opposition presented data on alleged vote theft in Karnataka and Haryana, but the Election Commission rejected it.
SIR is a major manipulation of voter lists. Minority and Dalit votes are being systematically removed from the list because their counting forms are being listed as suspicious entries. Conversely, officials are working overtime to add names of their choice through BLOs. Opposition party workers have no role in this.
Congress Lok Sabha MP Imran Masood told ETV Bharat, “They won the Bihar elections through SIR and are now trying it in other states. We are working to expose vote theft, but one day people will protest against this practice across the country.”
Congress will hold a large rally against SIR in Delhi on December 14. Congress Lok Sabha MP Shreyas Patel told ETV Bharat, “SIR is a very important issue for us. All party MPs will be present in the House to support the opposition.” As for the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, members of the grand old party may question the BJP’s celebration of the event, alleging that the saffron party had nothing to do with the song during the freedom struggle.
Recently, the national anthem became a bone of contention between the BJP and the Congress when PM Modi read out its full version at an event and alleged that some verses referring to Goddess Durga were removed from the version adopted by the Congress party in 1937.
Masood said, “It is true that Goddess Durga is worshipped in the song. According to Islam, we cannot worship anyone other than Allah, but this should not be made a political issue because we respect the religion of others.”
He said, “The BJP and its ideological mentor, the RSS, had nothing to do with this song during the freedom movement. They never read it, but it was regularly sung by Congress workers who gave their lives for the country. After independence, the RSS did not hoist the national flag for decades, but today they lecture us on nationalism. It is not right to blame Nehru for everything.”
He never read it, but it was regularly sung by Congress workers who gave their lives for the country. After independence, the RSS did not hoist the national flag for decades, but today they lecture us on nationalism. It is not right to blame Nehru for everything.”
After independence, the RSS did not hoist the national flag for decades, but today they lecture us on nationalism. It is not right to blame Nehru for everything.” According to Masood, no one has the right to lecture the Congress on patriotism, which played a crucial role in nation-building during the country’s independence and the decades that followed.
Masood said, “The BJP acts as if it is the only nationalist party in the country.” Shreyas Patel said, “The debate on the Vande Mataram issue is going to be an important one. We will listen to what the ruling party says in the House and respond accordingly.”
