NATHNAGAR (BHAGALPUR) — The Voter Adhikar Yatra, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Bihar, has turned into a public tsunami as lakhs of people joining the march across the state.
On its sixth day, the Yatra passed through Bhagalpur’s Nathnagar, where a sea of people gathered to hear Rahul Gandhi. The crowd raised slogans of “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhor”, referring to alleged electoral fraud in Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.
Addressing the gathering, the Congress leader accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP, and the Election Commission of India of “destroying democracy and the Constitution” by “stealing people’s votes.”
During the rally, Gandhi introduced former Agniveer Amarnath Jaiswal, who lost a finger while serving in the Army. Despite his disability, Jaiswal was discharged within two years without receiving the benefits extended to regular soldiers.
Rahul Gandhi said the Agniveer scheme had betrayed the youth, citing Jaiswal’s case as an example of how the government had “shut every avenue” for young Indians. He added that policies such as demonetisation had already crippled small and medium businesses, aggravating unemployment.
“The Modi government has not only destroyed employment opportunities but is now attempting to dismantle the very Constitution that guarantees one person, one vote,” Gandhi said. He alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise was being misused to disenfranchise Congress and RJD supporters, citing instances of names being deleted from electoral rolls.
Reacting to Prime Minister Modi’s remarks on SIR during his Bihar visit earlier in the day, Rahul questioned Modi’s silence on “vote fraud” in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Karnataka. “The truth is the Prime Minister, along with the Election Commission and BJP, is trying to snatch away your votes and weaken democracy,” he remarked.
The rally was also attended by senior INDIA bloc leaders, including former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav. A state leader alleged that the mainstream media in Bihar, dominated by upper-caste interests, was deliberately downplaying the Yatra.
