Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday intensified his attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing him of spearheading a systematic campaign to weaken Opposition parties by encouraging elected representatives to defect to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Ramesh alleged that the exercise was aimed at offsetting what he termed Shah’s “humiliation” in the Lok Sabha following the failure to secure passage of the Delimitation Bills earlier this year.
In a post on social media platform X, the Congress general secretary claimed that the Home Minister had escalated efforts to attract Opposition leaders into the BJP, including those who were elected just two years ago on platforms strongly opposed to the ruling party.
“The Union Home Minister is continuing his onslaught on the Opposition and his wrecking of Indian democracy to compensate for his humiliation in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 2026 when he failed to have the Delimitation Bills passed,” Ramesh said.
He further alleged that substantial inducements were being offered to Opposition legislators and political leaders to switch allegiance, although he did not cite specific instances or provide evidence to support the charge.
“His allurements are enticing a number of those who were elected just two years ago on a strong anti-BJP agenda to now join the BJP. The incentives reportedly being extended to them are mind-boggling,” he said.
Sharpening his criticism, Ramesh accused Shah of running what he described as a carefully calibrated political operation aimed at eroding the strength of rival parties across the country. Drawing a comparison with the mutual funds industry, he claimed that different incentives were being tailored to suit individual political requirements.
“The Home Minister is running a wholly cynical campaign that is well lubricated and, like in the mutual funds industry, offers various schemes and products suited to individual needs,” Ramesh said, adding, “There are absolutely no limits to his depravity.”
Despite the allegations, the senior Congress leader expressed confidence that the BJP would ultimately fail in its broader objective of weakening Opposition forces.
“But he will not succeed in his ultimate objective,” he asserted.
Ramesh’s remarks come amid continuing political realignments in several states, where defections and shifting party loyalties have sparked debate over the functioning of India’s democratic institutions and the effectiveness of anti-defection safeguards. Opposition parties have repeatedly accused the BJP of using its political influence to engineer defections, a charge consistently rejected by the ruling party, which maintains that leaders join its ranks voluntarily because of faith in its governance and leadership.