
My Bihar yatra is to save democracy, says Rahul
Rahul Gandhi
on Thursday announced that the party will launch a direct campaign against the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls from Bihar on Aug 17 with the commencement of the "Voter Adhikar Yatra".
"This is not just an election issue but a decisive battle to protect democracy, the Constitution and the principle of 'one man, one vote'," Rahul declared in a social media post. Asserting the party's commitment to ensuring a "clean voter list" nationwide, he appealed to youths, workers, farmers and all citizens to join what he described as a "people's movement". "This time, the defeat of vote thieves is certain," he said.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and other Grand Alliance leaders would join Rahul on the yatra, which will pass through several districts before culminating in a mega rally at Gandhi Maidan, Patna, on Sept 1.
"The rally will send a clear message to drive away the vote thieves," Venugopal said, vowing to keep power in the hands of ordinary people rather than "divisive forces, cronies and the powerful".
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Time of India
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Hans India
an hour ago
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Congress-led opposition parties hit back at the Election Commission on Sunday, over its appeal to authenticate their "vote chori" claims by filing a supporting affidavit and also termed its elaborate media address on the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) controversy a mere eyewash. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, flanked by senior EC officials, held a press conference in the capital and claimed that deliberate attempts were being made to fearmonger and misguide the voters of Bihar, apparently by opposition parties. It also stated that such fearmongering won't deter it from pursuing and implementing laid-down protocols. Replying to the CEC's presser, Congress accused it of being partisan towards the ruling party, while the RJD said that its clarification was devoid of any substance. Congress leader Pawan Khera, in a strong rebuttal, said: "Stealing is not considered a sin, but calling someone a thief is? Stop the theft, and we will stop calling you thieves. Why hasn't anyone given an account of one lakh votes from Mahadevapura?" Further accusing it breach of privacy, he said: "(BJP leader) Anurag Thakur is carrying digital voter lists of six constituencies—where did he get them from? Isn't that a breach of privacy? Did the Election Commission issue him a notice? No. But when it comes to CCTV footage, you say it violates privacy..." RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha said: "No answers were given. Not a single question was answered. Maybe someone told them to hold the press conference because it was becoming embarrassing. So, they went ahead, but what was achieved? Which question did they actually answer? Forget the political parties—the voters are not convinced by your behaviour and conduct." "Logic cannot be used to justify opacity. Opacity means lack of transparency. The biggest concern is that the Election Commission appears neither impartial nor neutral. This should be a matter of serious concern for you." Purnia MP Pappu Yadav said, "The EC has no understanding of the Constitution or Babasaheb's (B.R. Ambedkar) ideas. After indulging in theft and robbery, will they speak about the Constitution?"