NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, launched a fierce attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP, and the Election Commission at the Samvidhan Samman Sammelan during the ongoing Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar’s Motihari on Saturday.
Gandhi alleged systematic manipulation of elections through “fake voters,” claiming that in Maharashtra, nearly one crore new names were added to the electoral rolls after the Lok Sabha polls — most of them benefitting the BJP. “Our alliance swept the Lok Sabha polls.
Four months later, in the Assembly elections, the BJP’s votes suddenly increased. Every new voter added voted for BJP. This is not democracy, this is theft,” he charged.
The Congress leader said his party’s investigation in Karnataka’s Bengaluru Central constituency revealed one lakh fake votes in a single assembly segment, which allegedly enabled the BJP to win the seat. He accused the Election Commission of withholding voter lists and destroying videography records within 45 days to cover up irregularities.
Directly targeting PM Modi, Gandhi asked, “I call the Prime Minister a vote thief every day. If he has not stolen votes, why is he silent? His silence proves he knows he has been caught.”
Waving a copy of the Constitution, Gandhi said vote manipulation was an “attack on Ambedkar’s Constitution,” which guarantees one vote for every citizen. “When one person’s name appears four or five times on a voter list, it is an attack on the Constitution. We will not allow this to continue,” he declared.
The Congress leader also expanded his attack to issues of social justice, alleging that Dalits, OBCs, EBCs, Adivasis, and minorities remain excluded from ownership in corporate India, private hospitals, media, and universities. “In the top 500 companies of India, how many are owned by Dalits, Adivasis, or backward classes? Ninety percent of the country is excluded from participation in the economy,” he said.
To correct this imbalance, Gandhi promised two key measures if the INDIA bloc comes to power: a nationwide caste census and removal of the 50% cap on reservations. “This wall of 50% reservation will be broken and thrown away. We will build a new development model that ensures participation of all — Dalits, OBCs, Adivasis, minorities, and upper castes alike,” he asserted.
Linking the campaign in Bihar to the state’s historic role in India’s freedom struggle, Gandhi said, “The fight for the Constitution began in Champaran. Today, Bihar has shaken the BJP and sent out the message — vote thieves cannot rule this country.”
Ending his address with a call for unity, he said the Congress’s goal was to build an India based on “love, respect, and equal participation” rather than hate and exclusion.
