Attempt to shield 'infiltrators': BJP ahead of Cong's rally against 'vote theft'
New Delhi (PTI): Ahead of the Congress' rally over the "vote theft" issue, the BJP on Sunday alleged that the main opposition party was holding the event in its bid to "protect infiltrators" from being removed from the electoral rolls.
The ruling BJP asserted that the Congress will not succeed in its design of misleading people as well as "insulting and defaming" constitutional institutions, because the entire world knows that India's democracy is "very robust".
Stepping up its campaign against the alleged "vote theft" by the BJP in elections, the Congress has organised a rally at the Ramlila Maidan here on Sunday that will be attended by the party's top leaders, including general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K C Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, and Sachin Pilot.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi are expected to address the gathering. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi is also likely to be present at the event.
Ahead of the event, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said the Congress was holding the rally even as Union Home Minister Amit Shah "exposed" the opposition through his point-by-point rebuttal to their "fabricated" allegations during a debate on electoral reforms during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.
"This shows that you do not have truth in your hand, yet you are trying to create an atmosphere of confusion. The Congress' rally is an exercise to protect 'ghuspaithiyas (infiltrators)'. This is what the Congress is doing," the BJP MP told reporters here.
"The Congress party may try all it wants to mislead the people as well as insult and defame our constitutional institutions. But, the entire world knows that India's democracy is very robust and it cannot be shaken," he added.
The BJP leader accused the Congress of holding the rally to pursue its "appeasement politics" and dared Rahul Gandhi to challenge the Bihar assembly polls if he felt that there was any irregularity.
"Rahul ji, you still have perhaps 10 days left in your hands. You can still file a complaint if you feel that there was any irregularity (in the poll process) in any of the seats in the Bihar assembly polls," Patra said.
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Parliament passes bill to recognise Amaravati as Andhra Pradesh's permanent capital
New Delhi (PTI): Parliament on Thursday passed a bill seeking to recognise Amaravati as the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh with the Rajya Sabha giving its nod to it with a voice vote.
The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which will scuttle any future bid to alter the decision of making Amaravati the capital of the southern state was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Replying to the debate on the bill in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said Andhra Pradesh is getting a new capital in Amaravati and gave his best wishes to the state.
"We hope that Andhra Pradesh touches new heights of development and plays a meaningful role in fulfilling the dream and resolve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in achieving 'Viksit Bharat'," said the minister while terming it a historic occasion.
Supporting the bill, Masthan Rao Yadav Beedha of TDP said after a lot of planning, Amaravati was chosen for its history, location and potential.
Several other members, including TDP member and Minister of Civil Aviation K Rammohan Naidu also supported the bill.
