Is This Protest a Stand Against Vote Theft?

Patna, Aug 11 (NationPress) In a significant demonstration, leaders from the INDIA Bloc, including Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, commenced a protest march from the Parliament House to the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari termed the event as a crucial initiative to combat “vote theft.”

This protest is a response to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, which the Opposition contends is an effort to distort voter data ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections.

In statements to IANS, Mrityunjay Tiwari remarked, “This protest is being waged both in the House and on the streets. There are deliberate attempts to weaken democracy. We will not allow vote theft with SIR. This is a major battle to safeguard democratic principles.”

In reaction to the ECI's insistence that LoP Rahul Gandhi either issue a formal declaration or retract his statements on electoral integrity, Tiwari accused the electoral body of operating under the influence of the central government.

“It is evident that the ECI is acting on a script written by the Centre. Rahul Gandhi is the Leader of the Opposition; he has raised serious concerns, and it is the duty of the ECI to clarify. Instead, they are asking for oaths. What oath is needed? The Election Commission has deviated from its responsibility and accountability,” he told IANS.

Simultaneously, the Delhi Police detained several INDIA Bloc leaders, including LoP Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Trinamool Congress leader Sagarika Ghose, and Sanjay Raut, a Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, as they attempted to approach the ECI's office.

Notable leaders directing the protest included Mallikarjun Kharge, President of the Congress, and Akhilesh Yadav, leader of the Samajwadi Party (SP). They accused the ECI of failing to prevent voter list tampering in last year’s Lok Sabha elections, asserting that the SIR process in Bihar represents another attempt to manipulate the democratic process.

In a dramatic scene during the protest, Akhilesh Yadav was seen leaping over a police barricade as security personnel tried to impede the march. Several other leaders faced detention for attempting to breach the barricades on their way to the ECI office.

After his detention, LoP Rahul Gandhi expressed to reporters, “The ECI cannot even speak, and this is the reality. The truth is visible to the nation. This march is not political; it is a battle to protect the Constitution — a fight for ‘one man, one vote.’ We demand a clean and transparent voter list.”