After Bihar, NDA will form govts in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, says Shah; slams Cong for opposing SIR

Morbi (Gujarat), Nov 21 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that after registering a thumping victory in Bihar, the BJP-led NDA will also win the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, and form governments there.

Addressing a gathering in Gujarat's Morbi city after inaugurating the district BJP's newly-built headquarters, Shah also accused the Congress of supporting and protecting infiltrators for its vote bank politics, and asked it to undertake a "course correction".

The former BJP chief asserted that his party was resolved to throw every single infiltrator out of the country, saying they do not have any right to participate in the country's democratic process.

In his address, Shah hit out at the Congress, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and other opposition parties for opposing the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Shah's remarks on the SIR came a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote a strongly worded letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, asking him to immediately halt the exercise, which she claimed was "chaotic, coercive and dangerous".

Shah said, "When campaigning for Bihar elections was going on, Delhi-based political pundits had predicted that BJP and NDA will not succeed this time and that we will also lose the upcoming assembly polls in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu." But people of Bihar gave two-thirds majority to NDA and our government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Nitish Kumar was formed, he said.

"And today, I want to tell all those political pundits, who had predicted BJP's decline during the Bihar polls, that BJP and NDA will form governments in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu too," he said.

During the Bihar polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had embarked on 'ghuspaithiya bachao yatra' (march to save illegal infiltrators), Shah said.

"It was shocking, because the party which led India's freedom struggle, is demanding that infiltrators be allowed to live in India. Just look at the downfall of Congress!" he said.

Congress took out rallies in support of the infiltrators for the sake of vote bank politics, according to him.

"They were under the impression that their vote-bank would make them victorious. But, people had already made up their minds that they would only vote for BJP and NDA to make infiltrator-free Bihar," said Shah.

"Congress and its allies, such as Samajwadi Party (SP), DMK and Trinamool Congress are opposing the SIR exercise. I want to ask these parties how a person who is not a citizen of India is entitled to take part in our democratic process?" Shah asked.

When he asked the audience whether infiltrators should be allowed to stay in the country, the crowd replied negatively.

"Don't worry. Let Congress and other parties do whatever they want to. It is BJP's resolve that we will throw every single infiltrator out of the country," Shah said.

How can infiltrators decide who will be the chief minister of any state or who will be the prime minister, "Our Constitution gave that power to only citizens and we will not tolerate it if anyone tries to alter it. I want to tell Congress, TMC and other such parties that you still have time to correct your course. Otherwise, you will lose whatever you have" he said.

BJP today has the highest number of MLAs, MPs and corporators in the country, he said, adding that the party always kept the country's interests as the top priority, which is why it received such success.

Taking a swipe at the Congress in Gujarat ahead of the upcoming local body polls in the state, Shah said no matter how much hard work they put in, the opposition party will eventually face a Bihar-like rout. PTI COR PJT PD NP