Ready for special Parliament session on SIR: Shah accepts Rahul Gandhi's debate dare

Accepting Rahul Gandhi's challenge for a debate on SIR of electoral rolls, Amit Shah called on the Congress leader to take up the issue in Parliament rather than on the streets, while offering to convene a special session to discuss the exercise.Amit Shah accepted Rahul Gandhi’s SIR debate challenge and offered to convene a special session if the Congress formally requested one.New Delhi,Nov 5, 2026 14:34 ISTHome Minister Amit Shah on Thursday accepted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s challenge for a debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, but said the discussion should take place in Parliament rather than at protests or public rallies.Addressing a rally during the BJP’s ‘Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy’ foot march in Haryana, Shah challenged the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha to formally seek a discussion, saying the government was ready to convene a special session of Parliament if the Congress requested one."If you (Rahul Gandhi) wish to engage in a responsible discussion, if your concerns hold truth, substance and logic, then come and discuss them inside Parliament. Let’s face each other head-on. But you won’t be able to handle the answers; as always, you will just run away," Shah said.#WATCH | Karnal, Haryana: At the 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' rally, Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, "Today, from this platform, I want to issue a challenge to Rahul Gandhi. You challenge Narendra Modi ji to a debate—well, Rahul ji, there is no need for Modi ji himself; if you want a debate, just write a letter to him. We are prepared to convene a special session of Parliament to hold this discussion. We will have the debate—we will discuss everything there. Stop spreading lies..."— ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2026Shah asked him to write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi if he genuinely wanted a debate, adding that merely challenging the Prime Minister publicly was not enough. "I want to challenge Rahul Gandhi directly. You challenge PM Narendra Modi to a discussion? If you want a discussion, just write a letter to the Prime Minister," he said, reiterating that the government was prepared to convene a special session to discuss the SIR exercise.Shah also targeted the Congress over its demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, questioning why the party was blaming the electoral revision exercise for its electoral defeats. He pointed out that the Congress had lost the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, 2019 and 2024 even without an SIR exercise. "Where was the SIR in 2014? You were completely wiped out even then. Where was SIR in 2019? You lost. There was no SIR in 2024 either, yet you lost again. There was no SIR in Haryana or Maharashtra...You lost everywhere. You do not allow Parliament to function, and instead gather crowds on the streets to spread chaos, much like anarchy. You're just creating a ruckus and staging boycotts in Parliament," he said.Shah took another dig at Rahul Gandhi over the anti-CEC protests, likening the Congress's stance to a losing Kabaddi team accusing the referee of cheating.Recalling how his seventh-grade team repeatedly defeated a ninth-grade team, Shah said the older students eventually decided to accuse the referee of cheating to ensure their victory."It seems Rahul Gandhi might have heard those students," he said, adding, "Refree ko hi cheater keh do, hamari jeet pakki ho jayegi..." (Just call the referee a cheater, and our victory will be assured.)#WATCH | Karnal, Haryana: At the 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' rally, Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, "Refree ko hi cheater keh do, hamari jeet pakki ho jayegi..." He says, "Back when we were children, we used to play Kabaddi. Our seventh-grade team would consistently emerge as champions. After losing repeatedly, the ninth-grade team held a meeting. They realised that the seventh-grade team—who were younger than them—kept winning, and their egos were bruised. So, they decided that the best strategy was to simply label the referee a 'cheater'—that way, their own victory would be guaranteed. It seems Rahul Gandhi might have heard those students..."— ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2026Shah also asserted that the BJP would not limit its response to Parliament, saying the party was prepared to take on the Congress in state assemblies, villages and on the streets."Do you truly believe that an 80-year-old democracy will fall for your deceptions? Rahul ji, we are the people of the streets. The BJP will provide a fitting response to you in Parliament, in the Legislative Assemblies, in our villages, and in our fields; and should you choose to gather crowds, BJP workers will be there to give you a befitting reply," he said.Describing the ‘Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy’ rally as the BJP’s response to Rahul Gandhi, Shah said the party would not shy away from taking on the Congress across platforms.- Ends