New Delhi [India], December 14 : Karnataka Minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge on Sunday sharply criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah over alleged use of unparliamentary language in Parliament, claiming it reflected a deeper mindset and highlighted a lack of accountability in the ruling dispensation.
In a post on X, Kharge wrote, "They say your language reveals your mindset. But what was even more telling was the response from the Chair: a smile, and silence. No reprimand. No accountability. No respect for parliamentary decorum. No respect for the Constitution," he added.
Kharge further accused the BJP-RSS of reducing democracy to a "spectacle," stating: "This is what the BJP-RSS have reduced our democracy to: a serious institution mocked into a spectacle."
On December 10, tensions in the Lok Sabha escalated when Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi engaged in a heated exchange over allegations of "vote chori".
Gandhi repeatedly challenged Shah to debate on the issues raised in the press conference. At the same time, Shah responded firmly, saying "Parliament won't function as per his wish," and insisted he would address all questions in his own sequence.
Slamming the opposition over the SIR exercise, Shah stated that he has answers for all their allegations, including Gandhi's three press conferences.
"In his press conference, the LoP levelled allegations that the voter list is not corrected and needs to be rectified. So, what is SIR? It is the procedure to sanitise the voter list. He is opposing even when we are undertaking the process. Your defeat is certain; the voter list doesn't have to do anything with it. He said that the BJP never has to face anti-incumbency. Anti-incumbency is only against those who work against the public interest. It is true that the BJP had to face anti-incumbency very rarely. But it is not as if we have never lost any election after 2014. Double standards won't work in a democracy. When you win, EC is great. When you lose, EC is useless and works at the BJP's behest. I have answers for various of their allegations; those three press conferences also," Shah said during the discussion.
Interrupting the Home Minister, Rahul Gandhi challenged him to a debate on his three press conferences regarding the allegations of 'vote chori'.
"Yesterday, I asked why Election Commissioners were given full immunity. We want to understand their thinking behind it. He (Amit Shah) talked about Haryana. He cited one example. There are several other examples. There are 19 lakh fake voters there. Actually, let us have a debate over my press conference. Amit Shah ji, I challenge you to have a debate on my three press conferences," Rahul Gandhi said.
The heated exchange, followed by a walkout, sparked a political row on Thursday during the Winter Session of Parliament.