Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday attacked the Opposition over its allegations of "vote theft", saying protests and demonstrations would not help it win elections and that parties must work for people's welfare.
Targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Shah said the BJP would remain in power for the next 30 years and accused the Opposition of refusing to accept electoral defeats while endorsing institutions when results favoured it."You cannot gather party cadres from neighbouring states, stage dharnas in Delhi and reject the people's mandate," Shah said.
He alleged that Congress and its allies applied different standards to the Election Commission, voter lists and electronic voting machines depending on election outcomes.
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Citing Opposition victories in several states, Shah questioned why the electoral system was considered credible when the BJP's rivals won but challenged when they lost. "You won in Telangana, so the ECI and voter list were good. You won in Himachal Pradesh, so the ECI and voter list were good," he said.
Shah also referred to Tamil Nadu, where he said parties supported by Gandhi had won, and accused the Opposition of taking a similar approach towards court judgments. "If courts deliver verdicts in your favour, they are good. If they rule against you, they are not acceptable," he said, adding that such "double standards" would not work.
Defending his prediction of continued BJP rule, Shah said it reflected his understanding of the public and the Opposition's politics. "Given the kind of negative politics you are pursuing, your government will never be formed," he said.
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Shah also criticised Gandhi's foreign travel, contrasting it with his own presence among people in India. He reiterated that Gandhi would not get another opportunity to take power for 30 years, claiming voters understood the Opposition's conduct and were watching its actions.
Shah also plans to clean the Yamuna, also accused the previous Congress and AAP governments in Delhi of allowing sewer water discharge into the river and said the BJP government had now managed to reduce the discharge.
Attacking AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Shah said the "politics of excuse" would not save the AAP in the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls.
People in Punjab want an NDA government, he said, claiming that the AAP would be routed in the polls. Shah also asserted that the prevailing drug trafficking menace would be ended after the formation of an NDA government in Punjab.
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