Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of disrupting parliamentary proceedings and resorting to boycotts, alleging that he had made it a part of the party's political culture.
Addressing a rally in Haryana's Karnal after leading the BJP's 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' march, Shah said Parliament was the highest forum for debate in a democracy and accused the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha of preventing discussions on important issues.
“Rahul ji, you don't allow Parliament to run, you don't discuss issues. You have turned creating ruckus and resorting to boycotts into a Congress culture,” Shah said.
He also accused Gandhi of spreading anarchy in the country and warned the Congress that the BJP would respond to its protests across political platforms.
“Do you think our 80-year-old democracy will fall for your tricks? Rahul ji, we are people of the streets, take note of what I'm saying. The BJP will give you a fitting reply – in Parliament, in Vidhan Sabha, in villages, anywhere,” he said.
Shah led the march from Sector 12 to Dayanand Chowk in Karnal.
The Home Minister also reiterated his proposal to convene a special session of Parliament to discuss the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, accusing the INDIA bloc of protecting infiltrators.
“If you want a responsible discussion, let's debate inside Parliament. It is the BJP's resolve to identify and remove infiltrators from electoral rolls, unlike the INDIA bloc, which seeks to protect infiltrators,” he said.
Shah also questioned Gandhi's foreign visits, saying the public had a right to know about them. “You're the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, people have the right to know,” he said.
On Tuesday, Shah had said the government was willing to convene a special session of Parliament to discuss the SIR exercise and challenged the Opposition to participate in the debate.
His remarks came amid an escalating war of words between the BJP and Congress over Gandhi's challenge to Modi for an open debate.
On Tuesday, Gandhi had challenged Modi to an open debate on the prime minister's allegations that the opposition was anti-national. He also questioned why Modi had not filed a defamation case against him over his allegations of foreign connections.
Gandhi had further accused the prime minister of occupying the post with foreign help, renewing his demand for a public debate.
(With inputs from PTI)