Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, will initiate the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ from Sasaram, Bihar, on August 17. The yatra is organized to voice opposition against purported irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list and claims of “vote theft.” During this initiative, Gandhi is scheduled to traverse 1300 kilometers across the state. The journey will commence in Sasaram and conclude in Patna, spanning 17 days. The ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ is framed as a campaign against vote manipulation, targeting those accused of forming governments through fraudulent practices. The announcement follows Gandhi’s earlier declaration on August 14, where he called for public participation in the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ to combat the issues arising from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Gandhi has asserted that this is a critical battle to preserve democracy, the constitution, and the principle of “one man, one vote,” and that a clean voter list will be ensured nationwide. He has urged the youth, workers, and farmers to join the movement, with the goal of defeating alleged vote thieves and upholding the constitution. Additionally, Gandhi shared a satirical video inspired by the film Laapataa Ladies, which reiterated the Congress’s allegations of “vote theft” against the Election Commission and encouraged people to join the ‘Vote Chori se Azaadi’ campaign. The video portrays a scenario at a police station, where a man reports the theft of his vote. Gandhi has previously criticized the Election Commission of India, claiming that elections are “choreographed.” He also presented research from the Mahadevapura Assembly constituency in Karnataka, alleging the theft of over 100,000 votes. The Election Commission has requested that Gandhi provide a signed declaration to support these claims.
