Rahul Gandhi claims EC, BJP will steal voter cards, then ration cards and land in Bihar
Gandhi also claimed that the last Bihar Assembly polls were also "stolen" and this truth would come out one day.
"When this truth comes out, the Election Commission people should not forget that our government is going to take action against them," the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said while addressing a gathering in Nalanda on the third day of his Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar.
He also asserted that the youth of Bihar will not allow votes to be "stolen".
"They will not let it happen because vote is our right and the poor in today's India have only their right to vote left, and if your right to vote is taken away, then your ration card, your land and everything will be taken away," Gandhi said.
Alleging that the EC is getting "vote chori" done, Gandhi said that after an analysis the Congress found over one lakh fake voters voted in one assembly segment of the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha seat but the poll body refused to answer and asked him to give an affidavit instead.
"EC did not give an answer when we asked for a machine-readable voters' list and videography as it is getting 'vote chori' done," the former Congress chief said.
"Don't ask for an affidavit from me, it is your (EC's) data...people of Bihar will come to ask you to give an affidavit, people of Bihar will not let vote chori happen," he said.
Gandhi said 65 lakh voters have been deleted in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar and urged people to not allow this.
"We have started this yatra against 'vote chori' that will travel through Bihar," Gandhi said with the crowd responding with the slogan 'vote chor, gaddi chhor'.
He also asserted that there is an urgent need to combat unemployment.
"We have to finish 'Made in China' and bring in 'Made in India' and 'Made in Bihar'. We have to end unemployment," Gandhi said.
Earlier, addressing a gathering at Bhagat Singh Chowk in Nawada, Gandhi said the right to vote has been given to the people by the Constitution and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the election commissioners are "snatching" it away from them.
"This is your right that has been given to you by the Constitution that you have fought for and Modi, Shah and election commissioners are snatching away from you. (RJD's) Tejashwi (Yadav), me and the other (Mahagathbandhan) leaders standing here want to tell them that we will not let you steal even one vote in (Bihar)," Gandhi said.
He alleged that the EC-BJP have "stolen" the elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.
In Maharashtra, about one crore voters were added through magic between the Lok Sabha and assembly polls, Gandhi said.
"Now in Bihar they are carrying out 'vote chori' in a new manner. They are doing this chori before your eyes but we will not let them do vote chori," he said.
Cautioning the people, he said, "First your voter card will go, then your ration card will go and then your land would be handed over to Adani and Ambani."
This country belongs to farmers, labourers, small traders and the youth, and not to a few billionaires like Adani and Ambani, he said.
Gandhi said all the wrong laws, GST, demonetisation are aimed at benefiting a few billionaires.
"You give money and resources and the country cannot give you employment, this has to change and that is why we have started this Voter Adhikar Yatra," he said in his address to the people standing atop his vehicle flanked by RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and CPI(ML) Liberation's Dipankar Bhattacharya.
At the start of the address, Gandhi asked a person whose name had been deleted from the voters' list to address the people. The person said he had been a polling agent in the Lok Sabha polls but his name had been removed from the SIR of electoral rolls.
"There are lakhs of such people in Bihar who voted but their names have been removed from the voters' list," Gandhi said.
"There is a partnership going on between the BJP and the Election Commission, they are together colluding to indulge in vote chori," he charged.
Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejaswi Yadav, while addressing the gathering in Nawada, said that whenever the Lok Sabha elections are held in future, "we will make Rahul Gandhi the prime minister."
The leader of opposition in Bihar Assembly targeted the EC on the issue of SIR and said that "vote theft" will not be allowed in Bihar.
He also claimed that after "vote theft", people's ration cards and pensions will be snatched away.
On Tuesday, the third day of the yatra started from Wazirganj in Gaya and entered Nawada. After this, the yatra reached Nalanda via Sheikhpura. Wednesday is a break day in the yatra and it will again start from Nalanda on Thursday.
Gandhi also paid homage to the statue of Bihar's first chief minister Krishna Singh in Sheikhpura.
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 also pass through Lakhisarai, Munger, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Purnea, Araria, Supaul, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, East Champaran, West Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan, Chhapra and Ara.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
25 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Himachal: BJP announces to boycott revenue minister
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the main opposition party in the Himachal Pradesh assembly, announced a boycott of Revenue and Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi. Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur along with BJP legislators staged walkout from assembly during the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha monsoon session, in Shimla on Tuesday. (Deepak Sansta/ HT) As part of the boycott, the saffron party Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) have decided not to ask any questions or listen to his statements inside the House of Jagat Singh Negi, who holds portfolios of Revenue, Tribal affairs and Horticulture. The ruckus was triggered by remarks made by Negi during the recent disaster in Seraj, which the BJP alleged were 'insensitive and derogatory.' The BJP MLA Randhir Sharma raised the matter in the House, saying the minister had made 'mocking and inappropriate' comments at a time when people were in distress due to the disaster. 'The minister should not have made such remarks during this time of crisis. The opposition has decided that we will not ask him any questions and whenever he speaks, we will walk out of the House,' Sharma told media persons outside the Vidhan Sabha. Leader of Opposition and former chief minister, Jai Ram Thakur, said, 'The opposition would not tolerate what he called the minister's 'nonsense.' 'The opposition cannot listen to the rubbish of the minister. That is why we staged a walkout,' Thakur said, accusing Negi of hurting the sentiments of the disaster-affected people. The protests intensified after Minister Jagat Singh Negi hit back at the BJP on the floor of the House, accusing the opposition of double standards. 'The BJP talks of the dignity of the House but indulges in vote theft and insulted the national flag in Seraj. The insult in Seraj was not of me but of the Tricolour. The opposition is breaking democratic traditions and using unparliamentary language. I am not afraid of their threats. I will continue to respond on the basis of the Constitution and truth. Whether the opposition wants to listen or not, that is their choice—but the opposition will be answered with a stone for every brick,' Negi while talking to media persons outside the assembly. The BJP MLAs shouted slogans and staged repeated walkouts, even as the treasury benches accused them of running away from debate. While speaking to media, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu strongly defended his minister saying 'The BJP is targeting Jagat Singh Negi only because he speaks the truth. He is one of the most effective ministers in the cabinet'. Launching a scathing attack on BJP, Sukhu added, 'Walking out three or four times in an hour shows how directionless the opposition has become. This only shows their level of frustration. The BJP is divided into five factions, which is clearly visible inside the House today. They are not interested in discussions, only in creating headlines and protecting their political chair.'
The Hindu
25 minutes ago
- The Hindu
When DMK opposed a Vice-President candidate from Tamil Nadu 41 years ago
Shortly after the BJP-led NDA fielded Maharashtra Governor and former Coimbatore MP C.P. Radhakrishnan as its candidate for the upcoming polls for the post of Vice-President, several political party leaders, including AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami and TMC (Moopanar) leader G.K. Vasan, had appealed to parties in Tamil Nadu to sink differences and back his candidature. The last time a candidate hailing from Tamil Nadu was fielded for the post was 41 years ago – when R. Venkataraman entered the fray. However, now, the Opposition INDIA bloc, of which the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu is a constituent, has announced former Supreme Court judge B. Sudarshan Reddy, who hails from Telangana, as their nominee to take on Mr Radhakrishnan. While Mr. Radhakrishnan's victory is likely guaranteed on account of the NDA's numbers in both Houses of Parliament, the DMK and its allies shall be opposing the 'son of the soil' for political reasons. However, such a stand is not new for the Dravidian party. On August 1, 1984, the Congress (I) Parliamentary board formally nominated R. Venkataraman, who was serving as the Defence Minister in Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's Cabinet, for the office of Vice-President of India. He had earlier served as a Minister holding various portfolios in Madras State, playing an instrumental role in the State's industrialisation. A report published in The Hindu on August 2, 1984, said that after nominating Venkataraman, also called R.V., Indira Gandhi apprised Satyasadan Chakraborty, the CPI(M) leader in the Lok Sabha, of the views of the Congress board members. The CPI(M) leader, in turn, informed his colleagues in the Opposition about the ruling party's decision, as the Prime Minister had sought their support to ensure Venkataraman's election by consensus, even though the Congress nominee could win comfortably on the party's own strength. Referring to the archival reports of Murasoli, the DMK's mouthpiece, R. Kannan, the author of The DMK Years and biographer of Dravidian stalwarts C.N. Annadurai and M.G. Ramachandran, noted that failing to achieve consensus, leaders of the Opposition parties, including Era. Mohan of the DMK, Atal Bihari Vajpayee of the BJP and Indrajit Gupta of the CPI convened a meeting on August 2, 1984, and decided to field B.C. Kamble, a former MP from the Republican Party, was their joint candidate, fully realising that the contest would only be token in nature. Mr. Chakraborty said the Opposition had nothing personal against R.V. but regretted that the Prime Minister had not followed the procedure of choosing a candidate on the basis of all-party consensus. The Opposition was keen that a member of the weaker sections be given an opportunity to occupy the post of Vice-President, The Hindu reported. Despite not being a part of the Congress-led alliance in the Parliamentary elections in 1980, the AIADMK, which eventually showed signs of moving closer towards the Congress in the early 1980s, supported R.V.'s candidature for the Vice-President post. The election held on August 22, 1984, ended as expected with R.V. defeating Kamble by a comfortable margin. In a statement, Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) thanked Indira Gandhi, saying, 'I am happy that Mr. R. Venkataraman has been elected Vice-President of the Indian Republic. You made it possible by enabling a Tamilian to contest the election and to win it. On behalf of the people and the Government of Tamil Nadu and on my own behalf, I express my sincere thanks to you for having fulfilled a long-cherished wish of the people of Tamil Nadu.' Three years later, when the Congress nominated R.V., the incumbent Vice-President, for the post of President, the AIADMK, by then in alliance with the Congress, backed him. The Opposition parties convened a meeting in New Delhi and unanimously decided to field eminent jurist V.R. Krishna Iyer for the top post. Even this time, the DMK opposed R.V.'s candidature and backed the Opposition as it was part of it. R.V. comfortably won the elections and went on to become the eighth President of India. Chief Minister MGR, in a statement, congratulated R.V. and said, 'Your election to the highest office of the Indian Republic is thus a natural culmination of your eventful public life and is a most fitting tribute to your selfless service. It is a matter of supreme pride for the people of Tamil Nadu, and I am profoundly happy in sharing this pride with them.' The DMK President M. Karunanidhi, in a telegram to R.V., said, 'Please accept my hearty congratulations on your election as the President of India.' AIADMK, DMK both backed Kalam In 2002, when the BJP-led NDA proposed the name of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, an eminent scientist and native of Tamil Nadu, for the post of President of India, both the ruling AIADMK and the DMK rallied behind him. The DMK was then a key constituent of the NDA. Despite not being a part of the combine, AIADMK supremo and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa described Kalam as the ideal choice and said her party was happy to extend support. In a statement, she said Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had spoken to her over the phone about Kalam's candidature. 'I told him that I was delighted with the choice…. Apart from the fact that Dr. Kalam is an eminent and internationally renowned scientist who is respected all over the world, it is a matter of great pride and happiness for the AIADMK that he belongs to Tamil Nadu,' The Hindu reported on June 12, 2002, quoting Jayalalithaa. A report published in this daily on June 16, 2002, noted how the DMK too welcomed Kalam's nomination. Reacting to the Left's contention that Kalam lacked political experience and knowledge of the Constitution, DMK president M. Karunanidhi said political experience was not listed as a necessary qualification for the post of the President of India. Comparing Kalam to former Presidents S. Radhakrishnan and Zakir Hussain, Karunanidhi said all three were eminent in their fields. 'In the current situation, a non-political, secular, non-partisan person like Dr. Kalam was best suited for the role,' he said. On July 18, 2002, the 71-year-old scientist was elected as the President of India. With the support of the NDA, the Congress, the Telugu Desam Party and the Samajwadi Party, Kalam secured nearly 90% of the valid votes against his sole rival Captain Lakshmi Sahgal. After his victory, Kalam addressed his critics who had doubted his suitability for the presidency because of his lack of political background. 'I have been working from 1982 onwards directly with the Government, whether it be related to research, launch vehicles or nuclear programmes. Unless political decisions are taken, satellites will not be in orbit. Political decisions are vital for the success of any programme. I have worked with six Prime Ministers, I know how to handle politics,' a report published in The Hindu on July 19, 2002, quoted Kalam.
Hindustan Times
25 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
South vs South: Oppn names ex-SC judge Reddy as V-P pick
Former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy will be the Opposition's candidate for the vice-presidential election, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge announced on Tuesday, pitching the September 9 poll as a battle between those who uphold the Constitution and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), where National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominee CP Radhakrishnan began his political life. INDIA bloc's Vice-Presidential candidate former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy with MPs of Opposition parties at Delhi airport. Justice Reddy's nomination is also a calculated move to push lawmakers from K Chandrasekhara Rao's Bharat Rashtra Samithi, YS Jaganmohan Reddy's YSR Congress, and N Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party to vote for a Telugu-speaking public figure. To be sure, the TDP and the YSRCP reiterated their support for Radhakrishnan although there was no comment from the BRS. 'All Opposition parties have decided to have a common candidate; the decision has been taken unanimously. I am happy that all opposition parties have agreed on one name. It is a big achievement for democracy, Whenever democracy and the Constitution are under attack, Opposition parties unite to fight against it. So we have decided to field a good candidate in this election,' Kharge said. Justice Reddy's nomination means that the vice-presidential election will be a battle between two candidates from southern India, a first for the position. In the 781-member electoral college comprising both Houses of Parliament, the NDA holds the edge with 425 votes. HT had reported on Monday that the Trinamool Congress was pushing for justice Reddy. 'It is the parliamentarians who elect the vice-president. Political parties may sponsor the candidates. There is only one citizenship in this country. Myself and CP Radhakrishnan ji are Indian nationals. Whether it is South, North, East, West, nothing matters…,' the former judge said. The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi hailed justice Reddy's selection. 'A distinguished jurist and champion of justice, he represents the spirit of our Constitution - safeguarding people's rights, equality and our democracy. We stand united in this ideological battle and wish him all the very best,' he said. After discussing a number of possible candidates in the Opposition meeting on Monday, the contest narrowed to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's choice of former space scientist Mylswamy Annadurai and Trinamool Congress-backed justice B Sudershan Reddy on Tuesday. As a back-up, Mahatma Gandhi's great grandson Tushar Gandhi's name was also shortlisted. On Tuesday, DMK leaders indicated they won't 'push' for Annadurai if there is a larger consensus for Reddy. When the Opposition leaders met again at Kharge's house on Tuesday morning, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh proposed the name of Reddy. Kharge spoke about Reddy's profile. No other names were discussed in the meeting. Later, Congress general secretary Nasser Hussain told HT, 'In the background of the ideological battle taking place in the country, we need someone with clear thoughts, who can defend democracy and can uphold the spirit of the Constitution. We also thought a person belonging to none of the parties, someone non-partisan, and who can uphold all these values would be a good candidate in this election.' An expert on the Constitution, Reddy was born in an agricultural family on July 8, 1946 in the Ranga Reddy district of Telangana (then part of the princely state of Hyderabad). Reddy graduated from Osmania University in Hyderabad in 1971. He was elevated as the additional judge of the Andhra Pradesh high court on May 2, 1995 and chief justice for Gauhati high court on December 5, 2005. On January 12, 2007, he was elevated to the Supreme Court of India; he retired on July 8, 2011. Among his notable verdicts was one declaring Salwa Judum, a local militia propped up by the state government in Chhattisgarh to fight Maoists, as anti-constitutional. He was also part of a bench that pulled up the then United Progressive Alliance government for 'sleeping' on the issue of black money, and ordered a special investigation team in 2011. After his retirement, he was appointed as the first Lokayukta of Goa in March 2013. Reddy was also the chairman of the expert group for the Telangana caste survey. Reddy arrived in Delhi on Tuesday evening to an impromptu reception by Opposition leaders. The last date of filing nominations for the V-P election is August 21. Reading out the joint statement, Kharge said, 'This vice-presidential contest is an ideological battle. The Opposition parties have nominated Shri B. Sudershan Reddy garu as their joint candidate since he fully reflects the values that shaped our country's freedom movement so profoundly and the values on which our country's Constitution and democracy have been anchored. All these values are under assault and therefore, our collective and determined resolve to fight this election.' DMK leader K Kanimozhi tweeted, 'Safeguarding democracy is about fighting all battles, big and small, on behalf of the people of India. INDIA stands united in this fight.' Communist Party of India lawmaker P Sandosh called the poll a fight between an RSS pracharak and the Constitution. 'This may create certain political changes in Andhra Pradesh,' he said. Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav said, 'Justice Reddy has had an outstanding reputation in the legal field... I believe our entire alliance has made an excellent decision...' Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MP Mahua Maji said, 'This will be a close contest.' Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh announced that his party will support justice Reddy. Bharatiya Janata Party's Amit Malviya said justice Reddy is remembered for a judgment that weakened India's fight against Naxalism, referring to the banning of the Salwa Judum. 'The judgment was seen not just as a blow to a state government's counter-insurgency strategy, but as an instance of judicial sympathy for those aligned with the Maoist cause.'
