Motihari (Bihar) [India], August 28 : Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of being a "vote chor" (thief) and questioned his silence on the matter.
Speaking at 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.'"
Addressing social disparities, Gandhi raised concerns about representation in the corporate and healthcare sectors.
Speaking at an event, he said, "There are 500 major firms in India. I want to ask you, how many of those have a CEO from Dalit, Adivasi, or backwards class?"
He also criticised the privatisation of healthcare, stating, "If a person falls ill and needs treatment, it is the duty of the government to provide them with treatment and not a businessman's. The Constitution doesn't say that if a person falls ill, hand him a bill worth lakhs."
He further challenged, "Take out a list of the owners of private hospitals and show me how many of them are Dalit, Adivasi, or from backwards classes. You are 90% but your participation is negligible."
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.