Harish Rawat hits back at Amit Shah: Deport illegal Bangladeshis, don't target Rahul Gandhi
Synopsis
Former Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat turned Home Minister Amit Shah's infiltration charge on its head — asking why a government that has held power for 12 years has not deported the crores of illegal Bangladeshis it acknowledges are in India. The exchange, set against the simmering SIR electoral rolls controversy, signals Congress will fight the infiltration narrative by demanding accountability from the ruling side.
Key Takeaways
Harish Rawat on 14 October 2026 rebutted Home Minister Amit Shah 's charge that Rahul Gandhi was shielding infiltrators.
Rawat demanded the BJP-led Centre deport 'crores of illegal Bangladeshis' it has allowed to remain after 12 years in power.
Shah had on Tuesday accused Gandhi of using the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to protect infiltrators, and warned him to brace for defeat in 2029 .
The controversy centres on allegations of irregularities in the SIR process overseen by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar .
Rawat also targeted the Election Commission, suggesting the 'faces of those orchestrating the theft' were becoming clear.
Veteran Congress leader and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, sharply rebutted Union Home Minister Amit Shah's charge that Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was 'attempting to shield infiltrators', asserting instead that the BJP-led government should deport the crores of illegal Bangladeshis it has allowed to remain in India during its 12 years in power.
Rawat's Direct Counter to Shah
Responding to Shah's remarks, Rawat said: 'Border security is in your (BJP-led Centre's) hands. No matter how strict the steps you take, we will support those actions. If infiltration is increasing and terrorism is still flourishing inside Kashmir, then questions should be asked to those who have been in power for the last 10 to 11 years. What is the point of directing these questions at Rahul Gandhi?'
Rawat further pressed the Centre on the deportation question: 'Strict action should be taken against infiltrators. If possible, as we have been saying, deport them. There are crores of illegal Bangladeshis residing in India, why are you not deporting them?' The remarks mark a significant escalation in the Congress-BJP war of words over border security and electoral roll integrity.
What Triggered the Exchange
The exchange follows a statement made by Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday, in which he said: 'I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that his strategy to protect infiltrators through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), has been very well understood by the people and they will now not fall into your trap. Also, I want to tell Rahul Gandhi to prepare himself for losing in the 2029 (Lok Sabha) polls.'
Shah's remarks came amid sustained heat on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls — an issue the Opposition has branded as 'vote chori' (vote theft).
Congress Targets Chief Election Commissioner
Rawat did not limit his fire to the Home Minister. He took aim at the Chief Election Commissioner as well, saying: 'Their anger is understandable as their (BJP's) vote theft has been caught. Rahul Gandhi has been raising his voice against it earlier as well, and today, he is leading the INDIA bloc.'
He added that 'the one who was made to carry out the theft stands openly exposed as a perpetrator, and the faces of those who were orchestrating the theft are also becoming clear' — a remark widely read as targeting both the Election Commission and the ruling government. This is part of a broader Opposition narrative questioning the integrity of the SIR process, a controversy that has been building for several weeks.
The Broader Political Context
Shah had on Tuesday also pointed to Congress's electoral record, saying the party has been 'losing polls ever since' Rahul Gandhi assumed leadership — a charge Congress has consistently rejected, pointing instead to the Opposition's performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where it gained significant seats. Rawat's counter underlines the Congress strategy: redirect accountability for border security and electoral governance back to the party that has held power at the Centre for over a decade.
With the debate over the SIR of electoral rolls intensifying and the 2029 Lok Sabha elections already entering political calculations, the Congress-BJP confrontation over infiltration, electoral integrity, and the role of Rahul Gandhi is expected to sharpen further in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
After years of claims about Bangladeshi infiltration, has large-scale deportation not occurred under any government? The SIR controversy has handed the Opposition a credible institutional grievance, and the BJP's pivot to the infiltration frame suggests it would rather fight on security terrain than defend the Election Commission's conduct.
NationPress
14 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Harish Rawat say in response to Amit Shah's infiltration remarks?
Rawat said questions about border security and infiltration should be directed at the BJP-led government, which has been in power for over 10 years, not at Rahul Gandhi. He demanded the Centre deport the crores of illegal Bangladeshis he claimed are residing in India.
What did Home Minister Amit Shah say about Rahul Gandhi and infiltrators?
Shah alleged that Rahul Gandhi was using the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as a strategy to protect infiltrators, and predicted that Gandhi should 'prepare himself for losing' the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) controversy?
The SIR refers to a revision of electoral rolls being overseen by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, which the Opposition has alleged is riddled with irregularities. Congress and the INDIA bloc have called it 'vote chori' (vote theft) and have been demanding accountability.
Who is Harish Rawat?
Harish Rawat is a veteran Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. He is considered one of the party's senior voices on northern India politics and has been a consistent critic of the BJP-led Union government's governance record.
Why are infiltrators and electoral rolls being discussed together?
The BJP has alleged that the Opposition's resistance to the SIR process is meant to protect illegal infiltrators who may have been enrolled as voters. The Opposition disputes this, arguing the SIR itself is being used to manipulate voter lists — making the two issues politically entangled ahead of the 2029 general elections.
