Shah: AAP gave 3-ton abuse to Cong; But party with 0 MLAs in Delhi, WB wants to aid it

NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah exposed the chinks in the Opposition unity in the Rajya Sabha, saying that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s birth took place in India after it heaped abuses, worth three-tonnes, on the legacy-heavy Congress following its raft of scams and the taint on UPA-era ministers but the  Grand Old Party’s aid to Arvind Kejriwal against the Delhi Services Bill was a comedy of errors.

Shah took turns to attack the former Union home minister P Chidambram and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge who questioned BJP’s pressing need to bring the Ordinance that has now been introduced as Delhi Services bill in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

“Since Chidambram saab enquired the emergency or the urgency to bring this bill. Let me clarify, the emergency was to protect the scam-related files that were to be damaged overnight by the AAP government. Otherwise, we would have had to open a cam on the loss or theft of the files,” Shah quipped.

The home minister named Chidambram multiple times as the two sworn enemies din’t bat an eyelid while fixing gaze on each other during Shah’s speech.

“Chidambram saab also took potshots at us in the BJP, saying we have no right to discuss Delhi and that we couldn’t form government in Delhi. By the same measure, Congress has  today no MLAs in Delhi. Congress can’t then speak  in UP (where it won just two out of 399 seats contested in 2022), West Bengal, in 2021, the North east or Odisha elections either” Shah remarked, drawing a raucous applause from the BJP MPS on the benches.

Shah ridiculed the Left Parties  — CPI and CPIM — for questioning the BJP on its zero contribution to the freedom struggle.

“The BJP was formed in 1950, so how could have we contributed to India’s freedom. But some of our founders like Shyama Prasad Mukherjee contributed to ensuring protection of Kashmir and Bengal in making them inseparable part of India. Let’s accept that we accept decisions from Nagpur but we don’t follow the decisions of Russia or China like the Left parties,” said Shah.

Shah took swipes at the Opposition for seeking discussion on Delhi Ordinance bill under Rule 267 which allows the votes of the members to be counted.

“Every day in the Rajya Sabha, we bring the bills. If Congress, or other parties want to test our strength in the Rajya Sabha, they must feel free. We aren’t afraid of them on any given day. We will pass several bills for India’s development now,” said Shah.

Shah said that Rule 267 was part of the Rajya Sabha to discuss an issue and not to misuse it to stop a bill.

“Is the motive to discuss Manipur under the Rule or to stop the bills and show their strength,” Shah asked the Opposition, drawing frequent triumph calls from BJP MP and party president J P Nadda and Union minister Bhupender Yadav.