Bettiah (Bihar) [India], August 29 : As the Opposition's 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' entered its final stages, Congress MP and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani on Friday took part in the campaign in Bettiah.
The Voter Adhikar Yatra is being conducted in Bettiah, West Champaran, to Siwan via Gopalganj on Friday.
Meanwhile, a political row has erupted over the alleged abuses hurled at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother at the Opposition's 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' event in Bihar's Darbhanga, with BJP and NDA leaders targeting the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) for the incident.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta condemned the incident, stating that such remarks reflect poor "upbringing" and a lack of respect for "Mother Earth, Mother India, or the word mother."
Speaking to media persons, CM Gupta said, "This behaviour of the opposition leaders is very shameful. Insulting any of our mothers on the land of Sita Maa is not tolerable. The people of the country reject such cheap thinking and cheap politics of speaking ill of the mother of the Prime Minister of the country."
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has also condemned the use of indecent language in an alleged video against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother during a political rally, calling it an "extremely unbecoming" incident.
Earlier on Thursday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of being a "vote chor" (vote thief) and questioning his silence on the matter.
Speaking in Motihari, Rahul Gandhi said, "If I am accusing the Prime Minister of being a 'vote chor', why is he quiet about it? Why is the Prime Minister not uttering a single word? 'Kyuki Pradhan Mantri vote chor hai aur wo jaanta hai ki humne usko pakad lia hai.'"
The 16-day 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar led by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav aims to raise awareness about alleged irregularities in the voter list, which opposition leaders have termed a case of 'vote chori' (vote theft).
Covering over 1,300 km across 20 districts, the yatra is scheduled to conclude in Patna on September 1.
Bihar Assembly elections are expected later this year, although the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not announced an official date.
While the NDA, comprising the BJP, JD(U), and LJP, aims to continue its tenure in Bihar, the INDIA bloc, comprising the RJD, Congress, and left parties, seeks to oust Nitish Kumar.
In the current Bihar Assembly, comprising 243 members, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) consists of 131 members, with the BJP having 80 MLAs, JD(U) having 45, HAM(S) having 4, and the support of 2 Independent Candidates.
The Opposition's INDIA Bloc comprises 111 members, with the RJD leading with 77 MLAs, followed by the Congress with 19, the CPI(ML) with 11, the CPI(M) with 2, and the CPI with 2.