New Delhi, Aug 11 (NationPress) BJP leaders have strongly criticized the protest march organized by the INDIA Bloc directed at the Election Commission, labeling it a politically charged display and a march of despair by individuals devoid of hope. “This march of despair, by those who are hopeless, frustrated, and depressed after losing three consecutive elections, is merely a theatrical event. The public will not buy into this march of despair,” stated BJP MP Dinesh Sharma in response to the INDIA Bloc’s protest against alleged voter roll manipulation in Bihar and accusations of 'vote theft' during the Karnataka Assembly elections.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey described the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as a long-standing scheme. “Those making noise about SIR should know that this has been a conspiracy that has persisted for 25 years,” he asserted.

Similarly, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal criticized the Opposition for lacking a viable plan. “They have no agenda. While the Opposition is raising concerns about SIR, when the Election Commission asked Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi for evidence, he merely dodged the issue,” Pal claimed, casting doubt on the Opposition's assertions.

This criticism followed a demonstration led by Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, who spearheaded a march of around 300 INDIA Bloc MPs from the Parliament House to the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters in New Delhi.

In the meantime, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan lashed out at LoP Gandhi, stating in a post on X, “Rahul Gandhi ji is succumbing to pressure from anti-national entities. He and the INDIA alliance are tarnishing democracy, dismantling it piece by piece, and compromising the integrity of constitutional bodies.”

“Rahul Gandhi is continually misleading the public and attempting to incite chaos. He has discredited the Election Commission, the Supreme Court, and the CAG. He questioned the Army's bravery, and when confronted with facts, he was silenced. He raised doubts about EVMs without proof, then abandoned the EVM narrative after the Supreme Court's reprimand and has now shifted to SIR,” he claimed.

The protest aimed to spotlight supposed discrepancies in the electoral roll revision process in Bihar and broader issues regarding electoral integrity.

The Opposition alleges that the ruling BJP is manipulating voter rolls to sway electoral results in its favor, thereby jeopardizing the democratic process. This march forms part of a broader campaign against what the Bloc terms as “vote chori (vote theft)”.

LoP Gandhi has previously emphasized that maintaining clean voter rolls is vital for free and fair elections and has urged the ECI to make digital copies available for public audit. The INDIA Bloc asserts that this issue transcends politics, representing a struggle to uphold democracy and the constitutional right to vote.