Union Home Minister Amit Shah will lead BJP foot marches in Hyderabad on November 2 and Karnal on November 5. The party started this campaign to counter Congress rallies held on November 1. Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao said, "They are trying to create anarchy in the state and country."
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will lead the BJP's counter-offensive against the Opposition's 'vote chori' campaign, with foot marches planned in Hyderabad and Haryana's Karnal days after the Congress rally in Delhi on November 1.
The Telangana BJP will organise a padyatra in Hyderabad on November 2, a day after the Congress holds a public rally against alleged vote theft at Ramlila Maidan in the national capital. The march will be held under the theme 'Loktantra Bachao - Arajakta Hatao' (Save Democracy, End Mobocracy), Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao said on Monday.
Shah will also participate in a padyatra in Karnal on November 5 as part of the BJP's campaign against what it describes as misleading claims by Opposition parties over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
BJP TARGETS CONGRESS OVER SIR NARRATIVE
Announcing the Hyderabad programme, Rao accused the Congress of spreading a false narrative about the SIR exercise and attempting to provoke the country's youth.
"They (Congress) are trying to create anarchy in the state and country. That's why, we are going to organise a padayatra with the theme Loktantra Bachao - Arajakta Hatao. Amit Shah ji will attend the padayatra on 2nd (of November)," Rao told reporters.
The march comes amid a political confrontation over the revision of electoral rolls, with the Opposition alleging large-scale deletion of voters' names and the BJP defending the exercise.
Rao challenged Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to visit his native village, Kondareddypalle, with him to examine how many voters' names had been removed from the rolls.
He also asked Congress ministers in Telangana to identify at least 10 voters whose names had been deleted and explain the reasons for their removal. Rao said genuine voters whose names were removed could seek their inclusion again.
BJP CITES CATEGORIES OF VOTERS IN SIR
Responding to Opposition claims that 13 crore voters' names had been removed during the SIR exercise, Rao claimed that the figure included people categorised as 'Absent, Shifted, Dead and Duplicate' (ASDD).
Of the 13 crore, he claimed, 2.8 crore were dead, three crore were absent or untraceable when Booth Level Officers visited them, 6.3 crore had permanently shifted and nearly one crore had registrations at multiple locations.
He cited the example of a Hyderabad resident who, according to him, admitted to being registered as a voter at three places.
The claims came as the BJP sought to counter the Congress's allegations over electoral roll revisions ahead of the November 1 rally in Delhi.
RAO SLAMS CONGRESS OVER DELHI RALLY
Rao also criticised Congress leaders from Telangana for travelling to Delhi to attend the November 1 rally, arguing that the state was facing a severe water shortage due to a rainfall deficit.
He said more than 300 of Telangana's over 600 mandals were experiencing drought-like conditions. Referring to water shortages in Hyderabad amid El Nino conditions, he claimed that around 8,000 water tankers were being booked daily in the city.
Rao urged Revanth Reddy to prioritise the problems faced by residents instead of focusing on political activities.
He also hit out at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming the party was unable to accept that a 'chaiwala' had become the country's Prime Minister.
Accusing the Congress of being desperate to return to power after successive electoral defeats since 2014, Rao took a swipe at the party's leadership and Rahul Gandhi's prospects.
"You cannot market a failed product," he said.
AMIT SHAH TO JOIN KARNAL PADYATRA ON NOVEMBER 5
In a separate programme, Shah will participate in a padyatra in Haryana's Karnal on November 5 under the 'Save Democracy, End Anarchy' campaign. He is scheduled to arrive at 10 am, with Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Union Minister Manohar Lal and other senior leaders also expected to attend.
BJP state president Dr Archana Gupta reviewed preparations for the Karnal programme on October 25. She held meetings with the district core group and party office-bearers at the BJP office, Karna Kamal, before inspecting the event venue in Sector 12.
Discussions covered the proposed route, invitations to party workers, security arrangements and other logistical requirements. Gupta called for coordination among party workers and the timely execution of assigned responsibilities.
The BJP has described the padyatras as part of its campaign to counter what it calls misleading propaganda by Opposition parties over electoral roll revisions.