'Need to look at their own incapacities': Smriti Irani slams opposition over vote theft claims

In an exclusive interview with India Today, former Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani responded to allegations by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and opposition leaders that the recent election was stolen. Irani dismissed the claims of institutional capture, stating, "They need to look at their own incapacities instead of blaming the voter or constitutional and institutional processes." She questioned how a population of 1.4 billion could be captured and pointed out that opposition parties still managed to secure seats. Irani also addressed the issue of post-poll violence in West Bengal, defending the BJP's mandate as a rejection of the Trinamool Congress's corruption and violence. When questioned about recent attacks on Trinamool workers, Irani shifted the focus to past violence against BJP workers and women in the state, specifically mentioning Sandeshkhali and Ratna Devnath.