DEHRADUN: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of spreading a “false narrative” about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and vowed to expel infiltrators from the country.
Addressing a public meeting at Parade Ground in Dehradun, Shah launched an attack on the Congress, Rahul Gandhi and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat.
Taking a swipe at Rawat, Shah said Congress leaders were responsible for making Friday a school holiday. Referring to a sting operation involving Rawat, he said people had seen “what used to happen in the secretariat”. He ended his speech with the slogan, “This time, 65-plus.”
Shah praised Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and cited the state's investment plans as evidence of his administrative capabilities. He said he was initially sceptical when Dhami set a target of attracting Rs 1 lakh crore in investments. However, after speaking to the chief secretary, who explained the plan and confirmed the target, his doubts were cleared.
Shah said Uttarakhand had long been associated with the saying that the mountain's water and youth do not serve the hills. He accused the Congress of failing to address the issue and take effective steps to check migration. “Young people want industrial development,” he said, adding that the state was moving towards attracting investments and creating jobs.
Dhami said the government had taken strong action in the Ankita Bhandari case and secured life sentences for those convicted. He accused the Congress of selective outrage and questioned its silence on the “Jeni” case and the Delhi tandoor murder case.
After the rally, Shah and Dhami visited the Reserve Police Lines, where the Home Minister inspected a police parade. He presented the President's Police Colour to the Uttarakhand Police, making it the 16th state police force in the country to receive the honour. He also presented President's Police Medals to awardees and congratulated the force, saying he had never heard anything negative about it.
Shah also praised the Dhami government for its action against paper leaks and examination malpractice, and said it had provided jobs to more than 35,000 young people. He stressed that investment and industrial growth were essential to creating employment opportunities in the hill state.
