Chandigarh: The Congress on Thursday accused Union home minister Amit Shah of evading questions on electoral irregularities, farmers’ issues, women’s safety and the law and order situation in Haryana during his visit to the state. It said Shah chose political attacks over addressing issues raised by the opposition.In a joint statement, AICC Haryana in-charge Sanjay Dutt and Haryana Congress president Rao Narender Singh said Shah addressed political gatherings in Karnal and Ambala but failed to respond to the eight questions the party had raised a day earlier. They accused him of targeting Rahul Gandhi personally, invoking the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and Bofors, and raising the issue of infiltrators to divert attention from allegations of vote theft.The Congress demanded point-by-point answers to allegations of irregularities in the 2024 Haryana assembly elections, including suspicious voter entries, identical photographs and discrepancies in electoral records. It questioned why no independent investigation had been ordered into the allegations.The party functionaries also challenged the Centre over changes in the selection process for election commissioners, particularly the removal of the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel in 2023 and the legal protection provided to election commissioners under Section 16 of the new law.On infiltration, Dutt and Rao questioned Shah’s claim of three crore infiltrators, demanding disclosure of official records supporting the figure. They said action against illegal immigrants should not result in genuine Indian citizens losing their voting rights during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.The Congress expressed concern about the treatment of women wrestlers, alleging that Haryana’s women athletes were humiliated when they sought justice at Jantar Mantar in May 2023. They demanded accountability in the case involving a BJP leader.On farmers’ concerns, they accused the BJP of ignoring demands for a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP), timely payments and adequate compensation. They cited the 2020-21 farmers’ agitation and the withdrawal of the three farm laws.Questioning the state’s law and order, the Congress cited murders, extortion, gang wars and crimes against women and children. It also questioned chief minister Nayab Singh Saini’s political engagements and foreign visits.Party members said the Congress’s Nov 1 “Vote bachao, desh bachao” rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan reflected growing public concern over democratic rights. They warned that the party would continue raising these questions during Shah’s future visits to Haryana.
