Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], August 17 : Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Sunday slammed the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, calling it to "ensure free and fair elections."
The Rajya Sabha MP raised questions on the poll panel over the availability of voter lists and alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had access to them while the Congress did not receive the details.
"It is the constitutional right of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure free and fair elections. The soft copy of the voter list is available with BJP. Why does the Congress party not have it? With these questions in mind, a Voter Rights Yatra is being taken out in Bihar today," the Congress leader told ANI.
The Congress leader underlined that the issue of voter list transparency was crucial for democracy and stressed that the ECI must function without bias.
He also said that Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav launched the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar on Sunday with the intention to spread awareness among citizens about their voting rights.
Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav called for removing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from power in Bihar, referring to the party as "thieves" who are harming democracy by stealing the people's votes.
"Choro ko hataiye, BJP ko bhagaiye, aur hume jitaiye, (Remove the thieves, banish BJP, help us win)," Lalu Yadav said during the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar's Sasaram.
He urged Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge to stand united with RJD, along with his son Tejashwi Yadav, to "uproot the BJP and throw them away."
"At any cost, do not let BJP, which is a thief, come to power. Everyone, stand united, and together, Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav will uproot them and throw them away. Save democracy," the RJD chief added.
The Congress is currently holding a 16-day Voter Adhikar Yatra, protesting against the alleged 'vote chori' that Opposition parties have accused the Election Commission and BJP of. The yatra began from Bihar's Sasaram on Sunday, with several leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Pawan Khera, Kanhaiya Kumar and others participating.