Bihar campaign start of larger battle against vote theft: Cong

The Congress on Thursday said Bihar was at the centre of its battle against the “organised robbery of votes”, asserting that the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ was not merely a campaign but the beginning of a “larger struggle to defend democracy”.

Addressing a press conference in East Champaran, senior party leader Pawan Khera said, “This yatra has been like a pilgrimage, in which people of all faiths are taking part. On September 1, we will conclude it with a massive procession from Patna’s Gandhi Maidan to Babasaheb Ambedkar’s statue. But, this will not be the end. It will be the beginning of a larger journey to protect democracy.”

“The country is tired of Modi’s rhetoric. The call of ‘Vote Chor Gaddi Chhor’ will resonate even more strongly than ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ did in 2019,” he added

Rahul Gandhi also addressed a rally in Sitamarhi on the same day, intensifying his attack on the NDA and the poll panel by alleging that nearly 65 lakh names of poor and socially disadvantaged voters had been deleted from electoral rolls in Bihar.

He accused the BJP and the Election Commission of working hand in glove to manipulate the outcome. He also cited the alleged addition of around 1 crore voters in Maharashtra between the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

Gandhi also linked the alleged manipulation of electoral rolls with what he called the government’s project of handing over wealth and resources to corporates.

“Wherever land is acquired, it is taken from the poor and weak, and handed over to Adani and Ambani. India’s entire wealth is being sold off to a few,” he said. Before addressing the rally, Gandhi also visited the Janaki Temple and offered prayers.

The yatra, which is now in its final days, also saw leaders from allied parties mount attacks on the BJP and the RSS.

RJD MP Sanjay Yadav, who was with Khera and CPI (ML) Liberation MLC Shashi Yadav, ridiculed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his advice, wherein he urged Indians to switch from costlier soft drinks to shikanji, in the light of US tariffs.

“Perhaps Bhagwat does not want those who once sold tea (apparently referring to PM Modi). He should rest assured that we drink shikanji as well as milk and the waters of the Ganga and Gandak,” Yadav said sarcastically.

He also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for announcing a rail factory in Gujarat, while offering only trains “meant to ferry cheap labour” to Bihar.

Yadav also pointed out that voter deletions had an adverse impact on women. He specifically talked about women from Nepal who had married into Bihar and were unable to furnish parental birth certificates as demanded by the Election Commission.

“There are countless such women who had voted in the past, sometimes even against the wishes of their husbands and in-laws, often for the NDA. But now they have had enough. They are determined to vote out this government. The current regime is incapable of providing safety and security, as the horrific rape and murder of a girl inside her school in Patna has shown,” he added.