Amid the ever-growing crisis within the opposition ranks, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday slammed BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for trying to break opposition parties, while asserting that he will not succeed in his attempts to get a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha.
Ramesh said Shah suffered a "humiliation" in the Lok Sabha on April 17 this year when he failed in getting the Constitution amendment bill related to delimitation passed, and is now resorting to "dirtiest of tricks" in order to avenge that.
He accused Shah of launching an "assault on the Constitution and democracy."
"Amit Shah is clearly hell-bent on making the NDA, the National Democratic Alliance, the NDA -- National Defectors Alliance. He was humiliated on the 17th of April 2026 in the Lok Sabha. He expected the Constitution amendment bill that provides for delimitation to pass," Ramesh told PTI.
"He (Shah) had assured the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi). But because of opposition unity and solidarity, the bill didn't pass. They got only 298 and they needed 362, if you go by 543 present and voting. So they felt hugely short of the two-thirds majority. And that was a humiliation. It was a setback for him," Ramesh said, adding the home minister did not expect that.
The Congress leader accused the home minister of orchestrating defections as a response to that "humiliation" of April 17.
Shah has started on this massive programme to destabilise opposition parties, he alleged.
"He's (Shah is), you know, trying to break all opposition parties. But I can assure you that he's not going to succeed in getting a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha. He's trying similar tactics in the Rajya Sabha. But ultimately, it's two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha that matters," Ramesh said.
The Congress leader claimed that all sorts of incentives are being offered to opposition MPs to defect to the ruling alliance.
"You know, in the mutual fund industry, you offer different products and different schemes catering to the needs of individual investors. So, he's obviously offering a lot of incentives to individual MPs based on their needs and assessments. But, you know, this is an assault on the Constitution. It's an assault on democracy," Ramesh said.
"It is an absolute disgrace that the man who occupies the place that was once occupied by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is indulging in all these dirtiest of tricks in order to avenge the humiliation that he underwent," the Congress general secretary said.
Asked about Uttar Pradesh minister Om Prakash Rajbhar's remarks that a major split in the Samajwadi Party (SP) is on the cards, Ramesh dismissed the comments as "psychological games" that are part of Shah's strategy.
"He (Shah) is the master of sowing confusion. He is a weapon of mass distortion and disinformation --WMD, in the real sense of the term. So he is trying to create a lot of uncertainty and sow the seeds of dissensions but he is not going to succeed. He can do whatever he wants, he is trying to save his job," Ramesh alleged.
He claimed the Modi government had to suffer "humiliation" for the first time in 12 years on April 17.
"So, there is a lot of bluff and bluster and the home minister is a master in this bluff and bluster. He is trying to create an impression that opposition parties are withering away, but opposition parties are united, there is solidarity, there is ideological and this 'National Defectors Alliance' will not get a majority whenever the Constitution amendment bill is brought into the Lok Sabha," he asserted.
Ramesh stressed that the Congress has ideological clarity and is well aware that it is fighting an ideological battle against the BJP and not merely a political struggle.
"The home minister who does everything with the approval of the prime minister is hell-bent on destroying the Constitution and the foundational principles of our democracy," the Congress general secretary in-charge communications said.
"You saw what happened on April 17, he came a cropper, he was humiliated and he is now taking revenge, trying to compensate and send a message to the PM that 'I am going to deliver a two-thirds majority for you'," he said.
Ramesh pointed out that Shah comes from the land of Gandhi who taught people that the ends are as important as the means.
However, it is the "dirtiest of tricks" Shah is playing," Ramesh said.
He asserted that the Congress is not just sitting back and is talking to its allies opposition parties.
"Our top leadership, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha (Rahul Gandhi) or the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha (Mallikarjun Kharge), people like me, are in touch with all the colleagues in the opposition parties.
We are united and we are going to resist this nefarious, diabolical attempts of the home minister to get a two-thirds majority by hook or crook," Ramesh said.
The Congress' attack came with Shiv Sena (UBT) facing an imminent split.
Six of Shiv Sena (UBT)'s nine Lok Sabha MPs skipped its parliamentary party meeting here on Thursday, signalling that a formal crossover to the ruling Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde may be only a matter of time.
Also, 20 rebel TMC MPs have met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and announced their merger with the NCPI, a Tripura-based registered unrecognised political party.
On Wednesday, Ramesh accused Shah of launching an "onslaught" on the opposition and "wrecking" Indian democracy to compensate for his "humiliation" in the Lok Sabha on April 17.
(With inputs from PTI)
