Voter Adhikar Yatra: Rahul Gandhi to hit the streets again, this time over Bihar ‘SIR'
Announced the schedule of Gandhi's 'Voter Adhikar Yatra', Congress general secretary (organization) KC Venugopal said, 'To save our vote, our Constitution, our democracy, Rahul Gandhi, former deputy chief minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav and other Mahagadbandhan leaders will embark on the Voter Adhikar Yatra across Bihar.'
'The yatra will kick off with a mega launch rally in Sasaram on August 17, going through Gaya, Munger, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Purnia, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Pashchim Champaran, and ending in Arrah on August 30,' Venugopal said.
The proposed 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' will be focused on the Opposition's ongoing tirade against the ECI.
'Those who have conspired to steal our vote and destroy our hard-fought democratic system will be punished by the people. We will always fight to ensure that power stays with the ordinary people and is not snatched by those working for divisive forces, cronies, and the powerful,' Venugopal said.
Late on Thursday, the Congress will organise a 'Save Democracy Torch Procession' in all district headquarters across the country.
On September 1, the Opposition will hold a 'Mega Voter Adhikar Rally' at Patna's Gandhi Maidan 'where the whole of Bihar will send a clear message to drive away the Vote Chors (thieves)', Venugopal said.
This will be Gandhi's second yatra in as many years after he took out Phase 2 of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in February 2024, which saw the Congress revive its organisation, and in some parts of the country, and also translated in some electoral gains during last year's general elections.
Among other planned events, the party will take out rallies with the theme 'Vote Thief-Leave the Throne' in all state headquarters from August 22 to September 7. From September 15 to October 15, a 'signature campaign' will be conducted across the country to protect the right to vote.
On August 7, Gandhi produced data of alleged dubious voters in Mahadevapura segment of Bangalore (Central) Lok Sabha constituency and claimed that 1,00,250 lakh 'stolen' votes helped the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win the seat in 2024, as the Wayanad MP accused the ECI of 'colluding' with the BJP.
Gandhi claimed that in Mahadevapura, there were 11,965 duplicate voters, 40,009 voters with fake and invalid addresses, 10,452 bulk voters who had a single address and 4,132 voters with invalid photos.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
28 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
INDIA bloc to move impeachment motion against CEC; skip special debate in LS on Astronaut Shukla's space mission
NEW DELHI: The Opposition INDIA bloc is mulling moving an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar after he asked Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to either file an affidavit substantiating his vote theft allegations against the poll body or apologise before the country. The proposal for an impeachment motion was discussed at the INDIA bloc meeting held in this morning. Speaking to TNIE, an Opposition leader said that all members of the bloc have approved the proposal. The leader said that legal modalities will be discussed soon. "The process is similar to the impeachment of a judge," he said The Opposition parties have also decided not to cooperate with the government on the special discussion on the impact of Astronaut Shukla's space mission. The Lok Sabha is scheduled to have a two-day special discussion on the same. "We have decided not to take part in the discussion and to continue with its protests," the leader told TNIE. At a press conference on Sunday, the CEC warned Gandhi that if he failed to provide a declaration under oath within seven days, his claims of vote theft and poll rigging would be rendered "baseless and invalid." Hitting back at the poll body, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the BJP-led NDA government passed a 2023 law to prevent action against the EC as it is "helping" the saffron party and "indulging in vote chori" with them. Addressing a gathering at Aurangabad at the end of the first day of his Voter Adhikar Yatra, Gandhi said, "Today they (ECI) held a press conference. I want to ask them why the government change the law on CCTV footage of election process. Do you know that no case can be initiated against the election commissioners? In no court in India can there be a case against them."
The Hindu
28 minutes ago
- The Hindu
SIR is ‘new weapon' of ‘vote chori', will protect ‘one person, one vote', says Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday (August 18, 2025) said the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls is a "new weapon" of "vote chori" and vowed to protect the 'one person, one vote' principle. He made the remarks in a post on his WhatsApp channel while talking about his meeting with a group of people who had cast their vote in the previous Lok Sabha election but their name had been deleted in the SIR exercise in Bihar. Mr. Gandhi met the group at the launch of his 'Vote Adhikar Yatra' in Sasaram on Sunday (August 17, 2025). In his post in Hindi along with a picture of the meeting, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said, "SIR is a new weapon of vote theft. Coincidentally, these people standing with me in this picture are 'living' proof of this theft." "All of them had cast their vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections - but by the time Bihar assembly elections came, their identity, their existence was erased from the democracy of India," he said. "Do you know who they are? Raj Mohan Singh (70): Farmer and retired soldier; Umravati Devi (35): Dalit and labourer; Dhanjay Kumar Bind (30): Backward class and labourer; Sita Devi (45): Woman and former MNREGA labourer; Raju Devi (55): Backward class and labourer; Mohmuddin Ansari (52): Minority and labourer," he said. The "collusion" of BJP and Election Commission is punishing them for being 'Bahujan' and poor — even our soldiers were not spared, Mr. Gandhi said. Neither will they have a vote, nor identity or rights, he added. "Due to social discrimination and economic conditions, they are unable to fight against the conspiracy of the stand here with them to protect the most basic right of 'one person, one vote'," he said. This is a question of rights and of everyone's participation in a democracy, he said, adding that "we will not let it end under any circumstances". Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav along with Vikassheel Insan Party's Mukesh Sahani prayed at the Devkund Surya Mandir here as their Voter Adhikar Yatra entered its second day. Travelling from Kutumba, the Yatra is expected to reach Gaya this evening. Embarking on a 1,300 km 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' from Sasaram, Mr. Gandhi on Sunday (August 17, 2025) had accused the Election Commission of "stealing" elections in collusion with the BJP and asserted that the INDIA bloc will not let their "latest conspiracy" to steal Bihar polls through SIR of electoral rolls succeed. After 16 days, the yatra will conclude with a rally in Patna on September 1. The yatra is being undertaken in a hybrid mode, on foot and by vehicle, as was Gandhi's Manipur to Mumbai Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. It will pass through Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, Nalanda, Sheikhpura, Lakhisarai, Munger, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Purnea, Araria, Supaul, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, East Champaran, West Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan, Chhapra and Ara.
Hindustan Times
28 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Shout less, ask more to benefit people': Om Birla rebukes sloganeering Opposition in LS
In a warning to sloganeering opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha, speaker Om Birla on Monday asked them to raise questions with the same intensity as they 'shout slogans', adding that it would yield some benefits for the people of the country then. Lok Sabha was adjourned till 12 pm on Monday amid Opposition's sloganeering over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar.(Sansad TV/File) Lok Sabha was adjourned till 12 pm amid Opposition's sloganeering over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. 'If you ask questions with the same force with which you are shouting slogans, it will be beneficial for the people of the country. The people have not sent you to destroy government property and I request you and warn you that no member has the privilege to destroy government property,' Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla could be heard telling the MPs in a video shared by news agency ANI. He warned the MPs of 'decisive action' if they destroyed government property. "If you try to destroy government property, I will have to take some decisive actions and the people of the country will see you. Action has been taken against members for such incidents in many assemblies. I warn you again. Do not try to destroy government property," Om Birla said. When the House met at 11 am, opposition MPs, including those from the Congress, were on their feet, raising slogans and showing placards with their demand for discussion on the electoral roll revision exercise in Bihar. Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm as well following similar scenes on Monday. Deputy chairman Harivansh was seen making appeals to the MPs for letting the House function. "Please let the House function. This is Zero Hour," Harivansh could be seen saying with a noise in the backdrop. In its first press conference after Rahul Gandhi levelled allegations of 'vote chori' in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and several opposition leaders flagged issues about SIR in Bihar, CEC Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday issued clarifications over the claims, asking the Congress MP to either apologise or back his claims with a signed affidavit as required under electoral rules.
