The Union Home Minister said that personal attacks, not debate, are eroding the foundations of India’s parliamentary democracy and must be answered by voters
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has strongly criticised opposition leaders for what he described as “low-level politics” and “personal attacks” on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, warning that such practices erode the foundations of India’s democracy.
In an exclusive interview with Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi, Shah was asked how he viewed the contrast between Modi’s popularity, including his rapport with global leaders, and the repeated abuses hurled at him by Opposition leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee. Responding, Shah said it was “unfortunate” that politics was being dragged away from principles and reduced to personal attacks.
“Such low-level politics is like a termite in democracy. It eats away at the very roots,” he said. “Those who use such language and encourage such politics should be punished by the people.”
‘Punish Such Leaders’
Shah said the Opposition’s job is to expose corruption, but they lack such proof against PM Modi and have therefore fallen back on personal abuse. “If any person engages in corrupt conduct, that is not a private matter; it is a public matter, and it is the duty of the Opposition to expose corruption. But because they cannot find corruption, they resort to baseless talk, abusive words, and, as you mentioned, even making remarks about Modi ji’s mother. This will not strengthen our democratic politics,” he said, urging voters to hold such leaders to account at the ballot box. “Such people should indeed be punished in elections.”
‘Parliament Is The Biggest Panchayat’
Shah described Parliament as the “biggest panchayat” in India, stressing that it is meant to be the forum where the ruling party and the Opposition debate national issues on principles and policy. “There is no bigger forum for such discussions,” he remarked.
He alleged, however, that Opposition MPs were doing the opposite of what the institution demands. From the very first day of a session, he said, they sought to derail proceedings, even when Vande Mataram was being chanted, and later claimed they were denied a chance to speak. Shah pointed out that members often walked out despite being allotted time by the Speaker, used their interventions for political barbs rather than substantive debate, and repeatedly flouted the rules of the House.
“Parliament cannot function in a freestyle manner,” he cautioned, adding that such behaviour eroded the very purpose of the legislature.
‘Parliament Runs By Rules’
Shah said that parliamentary discipline has been respected since the time of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. “Parliament runs by rules, since the time of Rahul Gandhi’s great-grandfather and his grandmother. The ideal MP is someone who is able to properly put forward his or her views within that very framework,” he said.
While acknowledging that his own words may not change much, Shah stressed that the people of India needed to decide whether Parliament’s time should be wasted on “political theatrics” or devoted to substantive issues. “Prime Minister Modi has always insisted on upholding the multi-party parliamentary democratic system, ensuring parliamentary purity and discipline,” he said.
“At some point, the people of this country will have to decide — should Parliament’s time be wasted on political theatrics, or should it be used for fruitful discussions that lead to decisions in the interest of the people? Be it matters of security, prosperity, employment, industrial policy, cooperative policy, or welfare of crores of poor, should these be the issues that are debated, or should there be just political invectives?”
