Lucknow: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav to debate the Opposition's 'vote chori' allegations in Parliament, saying the government is ready to convene a special session for the discussion, IANS reported.

Source: IANS via Dailyworld

Addressing the newly constituted Uttar Pradesh BJP Executive Committee in Lucknow, Shah said the BJP was ready for a detailed debate on the allegations and on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. 'I am ready to call a special session of Parliament to discuss vote chori. But Rahul baba will never agree. He will never discuss the issue in Parliament but will create a nuisance on the street,' he said, according to IANS.

Shah also challenged Gandhi and Yadav to bring all their allegations against the Election Commission to Parliament. He described the allegations against the Election Commission as baseless, and alleged that the Opposition does not want a discussion and instead wants 'drama on the streets' — claims that are his, not established findings.

Using a cricket analogy reported by India Today, Shah compared the Opposition's complaints to a team blaming the umpire after losing a match, instead of improving its game. His remarks come as the INDIA bloc prepares for its November 1 rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan and has been pressing its demand over alleged irregularities in voter lists under the SIR exercise.

No immediate response from Gandhi or Yadav to Shah's special-session challenge was reported in the reports seen. The Election Commission's position on the Opposition's allegations was not restated in these reports; the allegations remain contested claims, not findings.