PATNA: Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday declared that the people of Bihar have made it clear they will not tolerate any attempt to steal their votes. Addressing a large crowd on the 19th day of the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Siwan, Gandhi posed a direct question to the gathering, “Will you let your votes be stolen?” The audience responded unanimously with a resounding “No”.
Taking a sharp dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul said, “Once people of the country realise the truth behind how he wins elections, they will start telling him their own Mann Ki Baat,” in a pointed reference to Modi’s monthly radio address.
Rahul expressed deep gratitude to the people of Bihar for their overwhelming support for the Voter Adhikar Yatra, describing it as a people’s movement against “election theft”. “People of Bihar have awakened every Indian to this issue,” he remarked.
Referring to recent revelations of electoral irregularities in Mahadevapura, Karnataka, the Congress leader claimed it was only the beginning, and that evidence of vote theft would soon be exposed across the country.
He warned that electoral fraud is just the first step in a wider campaign to strip marginalised communities of their rights. “Stealing votes is the beginning of snatching away the rights of the poor, Dalits, minorities, and EBCs. Soon, this government will come for your ration cards, your land, and your dignity,” he said.
Drawing parallels with pre-Independence India, Rahul reminded the crowd of how Dalits were treated before the Constitution came into effect. He accused the BJP of seeking to destroy the Constitution and eliminate the rights of the most vulnerable sections of society.
Gandhi was accompanied by Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, along with other senior leaders of the INDIA bloc. The Voter Adhikar Yatra is scheduled to enter Saran district on its 20th day, Saturday.