NEW DELHI: Congress leader and Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi on Sunday alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has institutionalised attempts to steal votes in Bihar through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and is working in favour of the BJP.”In Bihar, SIR is an institutionalised way for vote theft. Lakhs of voters’ names were deleted; the Opposition is complaining, but the BJP has not complained even once because there is a partnership between the Election Commission, the Election Commissioner and the BJP,” Rahul Gandhi claimed. Speaking at a joint press conference in Araria alongside RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav during the Voter Adhikar Yatra, Rahul Gandhi said, “We are finding people in Bihar who are alive but have been declared dead in the voter list and their votes have been cut. Even children are saying ‘vote chor, gaddi chhod’. The ECI should talk to the children.” He claimed the yatra had drawn large public participation. “The Yatra has been very successful and people are joining organically and naturally. It is clear that what we said about ‘vote chori’ is being accepted by the people of Bihar. The Election Commission’s job is to provide a proper voter list, but it has failed to do so in Maharashtra, Haryana and Karnataka. Our entire pressure is on changing the EC’s behaviour and we will not stop. We will not allow vote theft in Bihar,” Rahul Gandhi said. Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of attempting to manipulate voter rolls, Rahul Gandhi said, “PM Modi wants to steal votes of the poor through SIR in Bihar.”Echoing the charge, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, “The Election Commission is standing with the BJP, which is why the BJP brought this bill (130th Constitution amendment Bill) in Parliament. The CEC is being protected so that no case can be filed against him.” When asked about Union minister Chirag Paswan’s remarks against him, Tejashwi Yadav said, “We want discussions on issues. Chirag Paswan is neither an issue nor does the public ask about him. I would like to advise him, as my elder brother, to get married soon.” To this, Rahul Gandhi interjected with a light-hearted comment, saying, “That is applicable to me as well.” Go to Source
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