Patna (Bihar) [India], August 16 (ANI): Ahead of the ‘Voter Adhikaar Yatra’ against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar and alleged “vote theft,” Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday said the yatra aims to raise awareness among voters, particularly those whose names have been excluded from the electoral list.
Speaking to reporters in Patna, Bihar Leader of Opposition (LoP) Yadav described the yatra as a “historical journey” and expressed confidence that the Mahagathbandhan will receive the “blessings” of the people of Bihar.
“We are starting the ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’ from Sasaram tomorrow. Tomorrow, we will all be with the Mahagathbandhan allies. We will visit several districts, and our effort will be to make people aware so that no voter’s name is left out. We also have fought for this and got a relief from the Supreme Court in this matter, whether it is the Supreme Court direction to the Election Commission of India to publish the list of 65 lakh persons excluded or deleted from the Bihar draft electoral voters list, along with the reasons,” Yadav said.
The RJD leader stated that Rahul Gandhi and other Mahagathbandhan leaders will spread awareness about voter rights and address local issues during the yatra. They will also outline the alliance’s vision for Bihar if they form the government.
He said, “Tomorrow, Rahul Gandhi and other leaders of the Mahagathbandhan will go between the people and make them aware about voter rights. Along with this, we will also raise the local issues. We will also convey what our vision would be if we form our government. This is going to be a historical journey, and we will get the blessings of the Bihar voters.”
Meanwhile, Meanwhile, Indian Youth Congress National President Uday Bhanu Chib accused the BJP of “stealing votes” and said the yatra is crucial to protect the Constitution.
“This yatra will be very important for the entire country and to protect the constitution. Our constitution gives the greatest power to the people, which is to vote. PM Modi and the BJP tried to steal that same vote. There is no bigger crime than this. Our leader, Rahul Gandhi, exposed them with evidence… We will not allow this theft to happen again…” Chib told ANI.
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will kickstart his ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’ from Sasaram district of Bihar on August 17 against the alleged “vote theft” and alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi shared a spoof video inspired by the film Laapataa Ladies, reiterating Congress’s “vote theft” allegations against the Election Commission and urging people to join the ‘Vote Chori se Azaadi’ campaign.
Sharing the video on X, Rahul Gandhi wrote, “Chori chori, chupke chupke… ab or nahi, janta jag gayi hai, (Secretly, stealthily… No more now, the public has awakened).”
The video shows a middle-aged man at a police station submitting a theft complaint. When asked by a policeman, “What has been stolen?” the man hesitates before replying, “Vote.” The policeman reacts in shock and asks, “How’s this possible?” The video ends with the message, “Theft of your vote is theft of your right.” The clip is based on a scene in Laapataa Ladies where a husband goes to the police station to report that his wife has been exchanged.
On August 7, Rahul Gandhi had criticised the Election Commission of India, saying elections are “choreographed”. Presenting Congress’s research on voting in the Mahadevapura Assembly constituency in Karnataka, he alleged the theft of 1,00,250 votes.
The Election Commission has repeatedly asked Rahul Gandhi to submit a signed declaration to back up his claims of “vote theft”. (ANI)
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