Aurangabad: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls is a “new weapon” of “vote chori” and vowed to protect the ‘one person, one vote’ principle.

He made the remarks in a post on his WhatsApp channel while talking about his meeting with a group of people who had cast their vote in the previous Lok Sabha election but their name had been deleted in the SIR exercise in Bihar.

Gandhi met the group at the launch of his Vote Adhikar Yatra in Sasaram on Sunday.

In his post in Hindi along with a picture of the meeting, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said, “SIR is a new weapon of vote theft. Coincidentally, these people standing with me in this picture are ‘living’ proof of this theft.”

“All of them had cast their vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections – but by the time Bihar assembly elections came, their identity, their existence was erased from the democracy of India,” he said.

“Do you know who they are? Raj Mohan Singh (70): Farmer and retired soldier; Umravati Devi (35): Dalit and labourer; Dhanjay Kumar Bind (30): Backward class and labourer; Sita Devi (45): Woman and former MNREGA labourer; Raju Devi (55): Backward class and labourer; Mohmuddin Ansari (52): Minority and labourer,” he said.

The “collusion” of BJP and Election Commission is punishing them for being ‘Bahujan’ and poor – even our soldiers were not spared, Gandhi said.

Neither will they have a vote, nor identity or rights, he added.

“Due to social discrimination and economic conditions, they are unable to fight against the conspiracy of the system.We stand here with them to protect the most basic right of ‘one person, one vote’,” he said.

This is a question of rights and of everyone’s participation in a democracy, he said, adding that “we will not let it end under any circumstances”.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav along with Vikassheel Insan Party’s Mukesh Sahani prayed at the Devkund Surya Mandir here as their Voter Adhikar Yatra entered its second day.

Travelling from Kutumba, the Yatra is expected to reach Gaya this evening.

Embarking on a 1,300 km ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ from Sasaram, Gandhi on Sunday had accused the Election Commission of “stealing” elections in collusion with the BJP and asserted that the INDIA bloc will not let their “latest conspiracy” to steal Bihar polls through SIR of electoral rolls succeed.

After 16 days, the yatra will conclude with a rally in Patna on September 1.

The yatra is being undertaken in a hybrid mode, on foot and by vehicle, as was Gandhi’s Manipur to Mumbai Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

It will pass through Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, Nalanda, Sheikhpura, Lakhisarai, Munger, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Purnea, Araria, Supaul, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, East Champaran, West Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan, Chhapra and Ara.

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