Aurangabad (Bihar): Rahul Gandhi Calls SIR a “New Weapon” of Vote Theft, Vows to Defend ‘One Person, One Vote’
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday described the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as a “new weapon” for “vote chori” (vote theft) and pledged to safeguard the principle of ‘one person, one vote’.
He shared his remarks on his WhatsApp channel while discussing a meeting with a group of people whose names, though included in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, were removed during the SIR exercise in Bihar. Gandhi met the group at the launch of his Vote Adhikar Yatra in Sasaram on Sunday.
Posting in Hindi along with a photo of the meeting, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said, “SIR is a new weapon of vote theft. These people standing with me are living proof of this fraud.”
“All of them had cast their votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. But by the time the Bihar assembly elections came, their identities, their very existence, had been erased from India’s democracy,” he added.
He named the affected individuals:
- Raj Mohan Singh (70): Farmer and retired soldier
- Umravati Devi (35): Dalit and laborer
- Dhanjay Kumar Bind (30): Backward class and laborer
- Sita Devi (45): Woman and former MNREGA laborer
- Raju Devi (55): Backward class and laborer
- Mohmuddin Ansari (52): Minority and laborer
Gandhi accused a collusion between the BJP and the Election Commission, saying it targets the ‘Bahujan’ and poor, including soldiers. “They are denied not just their vote, but also their identity and rights,” he said.
“Social discrimination and economic conditions prevent them from fighting this system’s conspiracy. We stand with them to protect the fundamental right of ‘one person, one vote’. This is about everyone’s rights and participation in a democracy, and we will not allow it to be compromised,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, and Vikassheel Insan Party’s Mukesh Sahani offered prayers at the Devkund Surya Mandir as the Voter Adhikar Yatra entered its second day. Traveling from Kutumba, the yatra is expected to reach Gaya by evening.
The 1,300 km Voter Adhikar Yatra, which began in Sasaram on Sunday, has Gandhi accusing the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP to “steal” elections and vowing that the INDIA bloc will resist the alleged manipulation of Bihar’s electoral rolls through SIR.
The yatra will conclude with a rally in Patna on September 1 after 16 days. Following a hybrid mode of travel—both on foot and by vehicle, similar to Gandhi’s Manipur-to-Mumbai Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra—the route covers Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, Nalanda, Sheikhpura, Lakhisarai, Munger, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Purnea, Araria, Supaul, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, East Champaran, West Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan, Chhapra, and Ara.
