Sitamarhi, Aug. 9 -- Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was set to get a big mandate from the people to form the government yet again in Bihar and that was the reason why the Congress and RJD were questioning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to find an excuse for defeat in advance. He was addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation stone for comprehensive development of Punaura Dham, the birth place of Mata Sita, in Sitamarhi as a religious and tourist place of national importance at an estimated cost of Rs.882-crore on 67-acre area. He also flagged off a new Amrit Bharat train service from Sitamarhi to Delhi. He asked the people if SIR should be done or not to drive out infiltrators from the electoral rolls. "Lalu Prasad, Tejashwi Prasad and Rahul Gandhi should answer who they want to save - those from Bangladesh who devour jobs of Bihar people? Bihar's public will never accept infiltrators which Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi want to use as vote bank," he added. The home minister said SIR was not happening for the first time. "Rahul Gandhi should know that it happened during the time of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru also and the last time it was done in 2003. Losing election after election, is Rahul Gandhi preparing an excuse for yet another loss?" he asked. Shah also asked why the RJD was not able to file any objection to the first voters' list published after SIR so far, but trying to create a scene for protecting the vote bank. "Rahul Gandhi moves around with a copy of the Constitution, but he should also read it. Infiltrators cannot be voters. Those who are not born in India cannot have the right to franchise," he added. Listing out the various rail, road, flood management, infrastructure and other development projects launched in the state in last two years, Shah said,"I am the son of a Baniya and have an account of every penny. When Laluji was rail minister, barely Rs.1,132 crore was annually spent in Bihar, while it reached Rs.10,066-crore in 2025-26 under Narendra Modi government." He said in the last six visits alone, PM Modi had given Bihar Rs.83,000-crore for development projects, including for culturally rich Mithilanchal, as he wanted to bring the state to the forefront. "Tejashwi should also give account of the period when his father and mother ruled and the state was known for kidnappings, gang wars and crime only. If Tejashwi has anything to share, he should come to the same ground and tell the people about it," he added. He also hit out at the RJD and the Congress "for opposing Operation Sindoor in Parliament". "There was a time when the entire nation reverberated with bomb blasts and India could do nothing. Now, this is the Modi government and we did surgical strike, air strike and recently after the Pahalgam terror attack wiped out terror networks across the border," he added. Laying the stone for the temple development, Shah said it was a historic occasion not only for Bihar, Sitamarhi and Mithilanchal but the whole of India and devotees across the globe. "Mata Sita was discovered by King Janak while ploughing a field as part of a ritual to bring rain for respite from drought. As the work on the temple begins today, Mata Sita has again showered rain as her blessing. This is also a great occasion to remember Bihar's rich legacy of 'Matri Shakti', which finds mention in the historic philosophical debate between Adi Shankaracharya and Mandan Mishra, presided over by the latter's wife Udhay Bharti," he added. He along with CM Nitish Kumar performed the bhoomi pooja and laid the first brick amid chanting of mantras by saints. Soil from 21 pilgrim places and water from 11 rivers had been brought for the ritual and an exhibition of paintings depicting life of Mata Sita was also organsied. Nitish Kumar said since November 2005, a lot of development work had been done in Bihar and more would be done. "The Centre has also been extending full cooperation," he added. Union ministers Nityanand Rai, Lalan Singh, Giriraj Singh, Satish Chandra Dubey, Raj Bhushan Choudhary, Bihar Deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, Rajya Sabha MP and JD(U) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, Bihar ministers Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Mangal Pandey and several MPs, MLAs and MLCs were present on the occasion. you done for the development of Mithilanchal?..." The Home Minister further congratulated the people of the State for the redevelopment of Janaki Mata temple at Punaura Dham "...I congratulate the devotees of Lord Ram and Janaki Mata as the foundation stone has been laid for the redevelopment of Janaki Mata temple at Punaura Dham..." Shah said. Earlier today, Shah laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Janki Mata Temple at Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary were also present during the event. Punaura Dham, also known as Maa Janaki Janmabhoomi Temple, is widely considered to be the birthplace of Goddess Sita, the wife of Ram. After the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, multiple people associated with the Janaki temple brought gifts for Lord Ram during the Pran Pratishtha ceremony held on January 22, 2024. According to Bihar tourism, Punaura Dham also contains other attractions, like a lake which is believed to help with her pregnancy, and Panth Pakar, which is associated with Sita's marriage....