Patna (Bihar) [India], August 24 : Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, on Sunday said that the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' has become a "historic journey" and claimed it has exposed the "reality" of both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission before the people.
"A historic journey is underway; the reality of the BJP and the Election Commission has been exposed before the public," he told reporters.
Earlier today, RJD leader targeted the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging it was functioning like a "cell" of Bharatiya Janata Party.
Speaking at a press conference during the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar's Araria, Tejashwi said that the commission has lost credibility among the people.
"Election Commission has become 'Godi Commission' now and is working like the BJP's cell. Rahul Gandhi and I have embarked on this Yatra to save democracy, the Constitution and the right to vote. On the ground level, even in villages, EC's credibility is over," he said.
Criticising the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar, the RJD leader claimed that several voters were being shown as deceased. "About 50 voters' names have been deleted in every booth. We have presented the evidence in the Supreme Court for alive people shown as deceased," he added.
Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent remarks in Gaya Ji about "infiltrators," the RJD leader said that the EC itself had no such category in its record. "No one is better at rumour mongering than the Prime Minister. PM said in Gaya that EC is working to ward off the infiltrators. However, in EC's list of categories and the affidavit given in the SC, there is no mention of infiltrators," he said.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is also participating in the Voter Adhikar Yatra, alleged that the SIR exercise in Bihar was an "institutionalised way" of stealing votes."In Bihar, SIR is an institutionalised way for vote theft. Lakhs of voters' names were deleted; the Opposition is complaining, but the BJP has not complained even once because there is a partnership between the Election Commission, the Election Commissioner and the BJP," Rahul Gandhi said.
Meanwhile, the 16-day 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar, involving 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.