Sasaram (Bihar) [India], August 18 (ANI): The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, along with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, among others, kick-started the party’s 16-day ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ from Sasaram here on Sunday in the poll-bound Bihar.
The Yatra, launched in protest against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar and alleged ‘vote chori’, will culminate in Patna on September 1 after covering more than 1,300 km across over 20 districts in 16 days.
Several leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Pawan Khera, Kanhaiya Kumar, and others, participated in the Yatra on Sunday.
During the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar’s Sasaram, the RJD president and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav called for removing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from power in Bihar, referring to the party as “thieves” who are harming democracy by stealing the people’s votes.
“Choro ko hataiye, BJP ko bhagaiye, aur hume jitaiye, (Remove the thieves, make the BJP run away, help us win),” Lalu Yadav said.
He urged Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge to stand united with the RJD, along with his son Tejashwi Yadav, to “uproot the BJP and throw them away”. “At any cost, do not let the BJP, which is a thief, come to power. Everyone, stand united, and together, Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav, uproot them and throw them away. Save democracy,” the RJD chief added.
Rahul Gandhi and RJD Leader Tejashwi Yadav ended the day one of the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Aurangabad district in the evening.
During ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Aurangabad district, the Congress MP Rahul Gandhi hit out at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission (ECI) for “manipulating” voter lists, alleging that votes were being stolen in the name of “Special Intensive Revision” (SIR).
“SIR means stealing votes from the people of Bihar. Earlier, they used to do it secretly. Now they are doing it openly in front of everyone,” the Congress MP said.
He launched a scathing attack on the ruling BJP, stating that neither he, nor Tejeshwar Yadav, nor the people of Bihar are afraid of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and the Election Commission.
During the Yatra in Aurangabad, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav launched a strong attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar, warning Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to “fool the people of Bihar.”
“By carrying out the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ we assure you that ‘kisi ke maai ke laal mein dum nahin hain ki voh hum Biharion ka vote kaat sake’. Can two people from Gujarat identify the voters from Bihar? PM Modi stop fooling the people of Bihar…’Hum logon se panga bhari padega, Ek Bihari Sau Pe Bhari’…” Yadav said.
Independent MP from Purnia, Pappu Yadav, backed Rahul Gandhi’s Yatra and said he’s trying to stop the ‘looting’ by the Election Commission. He added that Rahul Gandhi is fighting to protect the Constitution, support farmers, and create jobs for the youth.
Addressing reporters, Pappu Yadav said, “…Rahul Gandhi has walked 10,000 km to become the voice of the people of India, he speaks for the youth. Rahul Gandhi has set out to protect the Constitution, not for political gains or losses. Rahul Gandhi has set out to eliminate hatred, stop the looting by the Election Commission, for the welfare of farmers, and for the employment of the youth…”
However, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders slammed Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Voter Adhikaar Yatra’ in Bihar, terming it a “Samvidhan Badnam Yatra” (Constitution slander yatra).
BJP leader CR Kesavan also alleged that while Congress and its ally RJD speak of protecting “one person, one vote”, their true agenda is centred on promoting “one family and one dynastic rule”.
“Rahul Gandhi’s yatra is nothing but ‘Samvidhan Badnam Yatra’ (Constitution slander yatra). Rahul Gandhi’s deliberate and repeated attempts to sabotage Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar ji’s constitution with his undemocratic and underhanded scarecrow tactics of fear-mongering will miserably fail. As far as Rahul Gandhi and Congress, and their cohorts are concerned, they talk about protecting one person, one vote, but in reality, for the Congress and RJD, it is all about one family and one dynastic rule,’ he said.
BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal slammed the Yatra, saying that Rahul Gandhi can undertake any yatra, but the people of Bihar know very well that the Congress MP has nothing to do with the people of Bihar.
“This is not a Voter Adhikaar Yatra. The responsibility of worrying about the right to vote belongs to the Election Commission, not any political party. They (Rahul Gandhi) can undertake any yatra, but the people of Bihar know very well that Rahul Gandhi has nothing to do with the people of Bihar,” the BJP MP said.
During the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar, Rahul Gandhi and other leaders of Mahagathbandhan will visit Punama Wazirganj, Gaya, to Barbiga via Nawada on August 19.
On August 21, the Yatra will reach Teen Mohani Durga Mandir, Sheikhpura to Munger via Sikandra, Jamui and on August 22, the opposition leaders will visit Chandan Bagh Chowk, Munger to Bhagalpur via Sultanganj. The campaign will cover Barari, Kursela to Purnia via Korha and Katihar on August 2 and 3, while it will cover Kushkibag, Purnia to Narpatganj via Chandni Chowk, Araria on August 24.
On August 26, the Yatra will be conducted in Hussain Chowk, Supaul to Darbhanga via Phulparas, Sakri, Madhubani and on August 27, it will be conducted in Gangwara Mahaveer Sthan, Darbhanga to Sitamarhi via Muzaffarpur. The Lok Sabha LoP, accompanied by the INDIA bloc leaders, will visit Riga Road, Sitamarhi, to West Champaran via Motihari on August 28. On August 29, they are scheduled to visit Bettiah, West Champaran, to Siwan via Gopalganj.
August 30 is dedicated to Chapra, Saran, to Arrah, Bhojpur. August 20, August 25 and August 31 have been declared as “break days.” The 16-day Yatra will culminate in Patna on September 1.
Meanwhile, the Chief Election Commisioner of India on Sunday refuted allegations of “vote theft” by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and asked him to either furnish a signed affidavit or apologise to the nation for his remarks.
The CEC also termed the allegations of bias by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabhas as an “insult” to the Constitution of India.
“An affidavit will have to be given or an apology should be made to the country. Teesra koi vikalp nahi (There is no third option.) If the affidavit is not received within 7 days, it means that all these allegations are baseless…” CEC Gyanesh Kumar said while addressing mediapersons at a briefing at the National Media Centre in the national capital.
Rahul Gandhi had on August 7 addressed a press conference in New Delhi, in which he presented Congress’s research on voting in the Mahadevapura Assembly in Karnataka, a part of the Bangalore Central parliamentary constituency. Gandhi alleged “vote chori” (vote theft) of 1,00,250 votes, including duplicate voters, invalid addresses, and bulk registrations of votes at single locations.
Bihar Assembly elections are expected to be held later this year in October or November; however, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not announced an official date.
While the NDA, consisting of the BJP, JD(U), and LJP, will once again be looking to continue their stint in Bihar, the INDIA bloc, consisting of the RJD, Congress, and left parties, will be looking to unseat Nitish Kumar.
In the current Bihar Assembly of 243 members, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) consists of 131, with the BJP having 80 MLAs, JD(U)-45, HAM(S)-4, with the support of 2 Independent Candidates.
The Opposition’s INDIA Bloc comprises 111 members, with the RJD leading with 77 MLAs, followed by Congress with 19, CPI(ML) with 11, CPI(M) and CPI with 2 MLAs each. (ANI)
Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed of ANI; only the image & headline may have been reworked by News Services Division of World News Network Inc Ltd and Palghar News and Pune News and World News
HINDI, MARATHI, GUJARATI, TAMIL, TELUGU, BENGALI, KANNADA, ORIYA, PUNJABI, URDU, MALAYALAM
For more details and packages
