Rahul, others oppose SIR as infiltrators are their vote bank: Amit Shah

Calling infiltrators a “vote bank” for opposition parties, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of politicising the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.

Addressing an election rally in Sitamarhi, Shah alleged that Gandhi and other opposition leaders were opposing SIR because “infiltrators are their vote bank”.

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The Election Commission of India launched the Special Intensive Revision in Bihar on June 24 to update the state’s electoral rolls.

“Should the names of infiltrators be removed from the voter list or not? The Constitution of India does not give the right to vote to those not born in India,” Shah said.

“Rahul Gandhi roams around with the Constitution, but he should also open and read it. They oppose SIR because infiltrators are their vote bank,” the Union Home Minister said.

Shah also asked Gandhi to stop vote-bank politics.

“Rahul Gandhi must stop his vote-bank politics. The Special Intensive Revision is not a new process; your late great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru started it, and it was last conducted in 2003,” Shah said.

“Now that you are losing elections one after another, you are already trying to justify your loss in the Bihar election in advance,” he added.

The Union Home Minister also criticised the previous UPA governments at the Centre, asserting that terrorist attacks were “frequent in India” during their tenure.

“But now India is different under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. Our soldiers killed terrorists in their hideouts, yet RJD and Congress leaders are opposing Operation Sindoor,” he alleged.

Taking on the RJD, Shah alleged that the party “encouraged hooliganism” during its rule in the state.

“The RJD did nothing for Bihar. Lalu ji, as a central minister, sanctioned Rs 1,132 crore for railway infrastructure in Bihar, while our government provided Rs 10,066 crore in FY26,” the minister claimed.

Shah also expressed confidence that the NDA will form the government in Bihar with a thumping majority in the upcoming assembly polls.