Katihar (Bihar) [India], August 24 : Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during his 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Katihar, alleging that the ruling party had "manipulated institutions" and "media" to hide the voices of poor citizens.
Addressing the gathering against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, Gandhi raised the slogan, "Vote Chor Gaddi Chhodd."
"This is not your media. 'Vote Chor Gaddi Chhodd'. Now watch TV in the evening. You will not see this slogan. You will not see it anywhere. You will not see this crowd because this is a crowd of poor people. It is a crowd of labourers, a crowd of farmers...We must not let votes be stolen," the Lok Sabha LoP said.
He alleged that the government had "suppressed public voices" and "ignored the issues of the poor", farmers, and labourers.
Speaking at the Yatra, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav took a strong jibe at the BJP-led Centre over corruption and promised to deliver a corruption-free and crime-free government if voted to power in poll-bound Bihar.
"So far, these officers and the corrupt government have taken Rs 4,000 crore only for getting residential certificates and caste certificates. The people of the BJP will use this money in elections. That is why corruption is increasing continuously," Yadav said.
He added, "We will work to give a corruption-free, crime-free government."
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.
While the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), consisting of the BJP, JD(U), and LJP, aims to retain power in Bihar, the INDIA bloc, consisting of the RJD, Congress, and left parties, is seeking to unseat Nitish Kumar.
In the current Bihar Assembly of 243 members, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) consists of 131, with the BJP having 80 MLAs, JD(U)-45, and HAM(S)-4, with the support of 2 Independent Candidates.
The Opposition's INDIA Bloc comprises 111 members, with the RJD leading with 77 MLAs, followed by Congress with 19, CPI(ML) with 11, CPI(M) with 2, and CPI with 2.