Claiming that the Congress lacked public support, Shah said, “Today is the final day of the ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao’ (Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy) rally organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party. From October 22 to November 5, this rally was organised at all headquarters across the country,” HM Shah said in an address in this Haryana city, in the presence of Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and the entire state party leadership.

“Everywhere, we have seen the same kind of enthusiasm and the same kind of crowds. An overwhelming outpouring of public support for our leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been seen on streets across the country,” the Home Minister said in an address that saw tens of thousands of party workers.

Earlier, HM Shah, along with Khattar, CM Saini, BJP leader Smriti Irani and others, participated in a padyatra in Karnal, as part of the BJP’s ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao’ campaign.

Starting his speech by chanting Jai Shri Ram slogans, Home Minister Shah said he wanted to explain why “we are compelled to hold this rally. For the third consecutive time, the people of this country have elected Narendra Modi as Prime Minister. Following this, the Congress, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, has faced repeated defeats”.

In his nearly half an hour speech in Hindi, he said in a democracy, the Parliament is the supreme forum for deliberation. “Yet, Rahul Gandhi, you do not allow Parliament to function, nor do you engage in discussions on substantive issues. You have turned creating a ruckus and staging boycotts within Parliament into the very culture of the Congress party. You refuse to let Parliament operate, choosing instead to gather crowds on the streets and spread chaos, acting like an anarchist. Let me tell you, Rahul Gandhi, we are no strangers to the streets ourselves. The Bharatiya Janata Party will respond to you everywhere, in the Parliament, in the legislative Assemblies, in our villages, in our fields, and on the roads. And if you insist on gathering crowds, the workers of the BJP will be there to give you a fitting reply,” the Home Minister said.

He added, “I still advise you (Rahul Gandhi): hold your discussions in Parliament. They wave the Constitution in the air. The Parliament is the very place where one is meant to fulfil constitutional duties. You insult the Parliament, you insult the Speaker, you insult the courts, and yet, you talk about democracy.”

Taking a jab at the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Home Minister, in his fiery speech, said, “Rahul baba knows that he is going to lose, which is why he blames the Election Commission and the SIR exercise for his defeats. Rahul baba, where was the SIR in 2014? You were completely wiped out even then. Where was the SIR in 2019? You lost. There was no SIR in 2024 either, yet you lost again. There was no SIR in Haryana. There was no SIR in Maharashtra. You lost everywhere. And now you claim that one crore votes have been deleted!”

“I want to challenge Rahul-ji directly. You challenge PM Narendra Modi to a discussion? If you want a discussion, simply write a letter to PM Modi. We are ready to convene a special session of Parliament to discuss the SIR exercise,” the Home Minister added.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Saini said, “The greatest strength of a democracy lies in the vote of an ordinary citizen, someone who may lack wealth, influence, or the backing of a prominent family. Yet, when that individual stands at a polling booth, they possess a right equal to that of the most powerful person. That single vote embodies the hard work of a farmer, the aspirations of a labourer, the future of our youth, and the hopes of our mothers and sisters.”

He said the Election Commission is currently conducting a revision of the electoral rolls, a process that takes place periodically. “The Congress has concocted a web of lies and, based on these falsehoods, has sought to spread misleading propaganda across the country,” he added.

With IANS inputs