On August 17, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, will commence the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' from Sasaram, Bihar. This initiative aims to protest against alleged discrepancies in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls and what is being termed as 'vote theft.'
Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel shared that during this campaign, Rahul Gandhi will cover a distance of 1,300 kilometers across the state.
On the inaugural day, he will travel from Sasaram to Patna.
Baghel emphasized, 'This journey will span 17 days, during which Rahul Gandhi will walk 1,300 kilometers. The Voter Adhikar Yatra is a movement against vote theft, targeting those who form governments through electoral fraud.'
On August 14, Rahul Gandhi announced the Voter Adhikar Yatra, urging citizens to participate in this grassroots movement.
He took to social media to declare, 'Starting August 17, with #VoterAdhikarYatra, we are launching a direct fight against vote theft from Bihar. This is not merely an electoral issue; it is a crucial battle to uphold democracy, the constitution, and the principle of 'one man, one vote.' We aim to ensure a transparent voter list nationwide. I call upon the youth, workers, and farmers to join this movement for the people's victory and the triumph of the constitution.'
This announcement coincides with ongoing protests by leaders of the INDIA bloc regarding alleged 'vote chori' (vote theft) and irregularities in the SIR process. Earlier, Rahul Gandhi shared a parody video inspired by the film Laapataa Ladies, reiterating the Congress's allegations against the Election Commission and encouraging participation in the 'Vote Chori se Azaadi' campaign.
In the video, he stated, 'Chori chori, chupke chupke… ab or nahi, janta jag gayi hai,' which translates to 'Secretly, stealthily… No more now, the public has awakened.' The video depicts a man at a police station reporting a theft, only to reveal that his 'vote' was stolen.
The video concludes with a powerful message: 'Theft of your vote is theft of your right.' This clip draws inspiration from a scene in Laapataa Ladies, where a husband reports his wife being exchanged. On August 7, Rahul Gandhi criticized the Election Commission, alleging that elections are 'choreographed.' He presented findings from Congress regarding voting irregularities in the Mahadevapura Assembly constituency in Karnataka, claiming a loss of 100,250 votes. The Election Commission has repeatedly requested that Rahul Gandhi provide a signed declaration to substantiate his claims of 'vote theft.'