In a blistering attack on Rahul Gandhi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the country will never forget that the Congress leader held a 'jalsa' on the anniversary of the "Sikh genocide" of 1984.
CHANDIGARH — In a blistering attack on Rahul Gandhi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the country will never forget that the Congress leader held a 'jalsa' on the anniversary of the "Sikh genocide" of 1984, and that if he wanted to become the prime minister, he should stay in a "mock parliament" his entire life.
Speaking at an event in Chandigarh, he also slammed opposition parties, saying that telling lies, spreading anarchy and negativity, and not letting Parliament function was their true nature.
He was addressing a gathering here after the inauguration and foundation stone-laying ceremony of various development projects worth INR 258 crore.
The opposition INDIA bloc on Sunday held the 'Chalo Dilli' protest at Ramlila Maidan in the national capital as part of its campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral irregularities.
On Saturday, the opposition alliance carried out a symbolic "public impeachment" of CEC Kumar, accusing him of deleting votes to steal elections and demanding that he be tried in court for treason and jailed. The meeting was held in a setting resembling Parliament proceedings at the lawns of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. The BJP has described it as a "mockery" of Parliament.
Referring to the INDIA bloc rally, Union minister Shah on Sunday said, "If you desire to hold a 'jalsa' for the Congress party on such a dark day of genocide, then Rahul ji, no one will be able to take away anything except hatred from your 'mohabbat ki dukaan'."
Shah said the Congress has been losing elections for 15 years, and its leader Sonia Gandhi's dream of her son becoming the prime minister remains unfulfilled.
"So, they have found a new way: conducting a mock parliament. I want to tell Rahul ji, if you want to become the prime minister, stay in the mock parliament your entire life. Your turn (as PM of India) is never going to come," he said.
He lashed out at the INDIA bloc leaders for not listening to Delhi traders' request to defer their rally until after Diwali.
"The traders of Delhi pleaded with them, saying, 'We have just one day, one week in the entire year when our business thrives. If we stock up on sweets and they don't sell, what will happen? It will lead to losses. If we buy firecrackers and they don't sell, what will happen? It will lead to losses'," said Shah.
"A trade worth Rs 25,000 crore takes place in these 3-4 days. The whole of north India comes to Delhi's wholesale market to buy Diwali goods," he said.
"But no, on the very day the Sikh riots happened, the Sikh genocide happened, on that very day, on that same dark day, they had to hold a rally," he said.
"Now remember my words: for the next three elections, your account is not going to open there," he added.
On the anti-Sikh riots, he said, "On November 1, 1984, thousands of Sikhs were brutally murdered in Delhi during riots incited by the Congress party.
"Thousands of Sikhs were burnt alive. Many Sikhs had to leave their homes, many children were orphaned, many sisters were widowed, and homes of many were burnt," Shah said.
He recalled remarks by former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi that "when a big tree falls, the earth shakes."
"I saw that statement on television, and I can never forget it in my lifetime," Shah said of Rajiv Gandhi's remarks in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi's assassination in 1984.
To describe the brutal killing of thousands of Sikhs in such a way is something that only Congress leaders could do, he said.
"Today, his son Rahul Gandhi organised a 'bada jalsa' in Delhi to rub salt into the wounds of the victims of the 1984 riots and their families."
The BJP held a press conference and had asked the INDIA bloc not to hold its rally on November 1, 2 and 3, as on these days, the anti-Sikh riots took place, Shah said.
"This deeply hurt our Sikh brothers, mothers, sisters, and children. Yet they insisted. From abroad, an order was issued to their party for holding the 'jalsa' on the very same day when thousands of Sikhs were set ablaze," he said.
Shah said he strongly condemns and criticises their "malicious attempt". "India and Punjab will never forget this."
Shah said when the Modi government came to power, it reopened all the cases related to the anti-Sikh riots.
"We provided financial assistance of INR 5 lakh each to the riot victims and ensured that prominent Congress leaders involved in the riots were sent behind bars," he said.
India had never witnessed politically instigated riots of this nature before, and I hope it never has to witness such riots again, he asserted.
Shah said the Narendra Modi government is taking the country forward by leaps and bounds.
"Article 370 was abolished, Naxalism was ended, Triple Talaq was abolished," he said. "Now remember my words: on December 31, 2029, we will make the entire country, including Punjab, drug-free," he asserted.
"The largest cricket stadium, the highest overbridge, the longest bridge, all of these are being built in India, worth INR 11 lakh crore. Electricity has reached every poor person's home," the minister added.
Shah alleged that Rahul Gandhi does not let Parliament run because he does not want women to get 33 per cent reservation.
"Rahul Baba, I want to tell you that this very Narendra Modi ji will give 33 per cent reservation to 'nari shakti' of India. This is our resolve," said Shah.
The people of the country are watching all these things very closely, he said.
"Who is making the country safe? Who is making the country developed? Who brought innovation to the country? Who brought the new education policy? Who is making the country economically prosperous?
The public of the country is seeing all these things, and all of this will be accounted for in the 2029 elections. Rahul ji, remember my words," said the Union minister.
Shah said that in the coming days, the central government will make Chandigarh the number one administrative unit of the country.
He also exuded confidence that an NDA government will be formed in the border state after the next assembly elections.