Patna, Aug 27 (IANS) Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) founder and former Bihar minister Mukesh Sahani addressed a public meeting in Muzaffarpur on Wednesday, the 11th day of the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra.’
Speaking on the historic land of martyr Jubba Sahni, he paid tribute to the freedom fighter who laid down his life in the struggle for Independence.
Highlighting the contributions of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Sahani said that the Constitution gave dignity and equal rights to Dalits, extremely backward classes and the poor.
“When there was a monarchy, Dalits were not even allowed to serve water. But in democracy, a Mallah’s son could become a minister,” he said.
Sahani alleged that the country’s democracy is now under threat.
“Today, the BJP, RSS and the Election Commission together are stealing votes and holding on to power,” he claimed.
Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sahani reminded people of the 2014 promises.
“Narendra Modi had promised 2 crore jobs every year, but he failed. He became Prime Minister for the third time, not with your votes but by stealing votes,” he professed.
He appealed to the people of Bihar to unite and safeguard their rights.
“In a democracy, the public is the real owner. Leaders who fail must be changed after five years. We will not allow vote theft in Bihar under any circumstances,” he asserted.
The ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav started on August 17 and reached Muzaffarpur on day 11.
During the rally in Gaighat, Muzaffarpur, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and DMK leader Kanimozhi also joined the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’.
CM Stalin while addressing the gathering in Tamil, accused the BJP of subverting democracy, asserting that the ruling party is resorting to shortcuts by manipulating the election system as they fear defeat.
“The BJP, fearing defeat, is resorting to shortcuts by manipulating the system. In Bihar, they have disenfranchised lakhs of voters and manipulated the institutions,” he said while addressing the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar.
Defending Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, the DMK chief said the Congress MP would not be intimidated by notices from the Election Commission.
On the issue of voter deletions, CM Stalin launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission, accusing it of acting as a “puppet in the BJP’s hands.”
He termed the removal of 65 lakh names from the electoral rolls as a “massacre of democracy” and worse than terrorism.
CM Stalin, who joined the rally after travelling more than 2,000 km, lauded Bihar’s historic role in safeguarding democracy, recalling the legacy of Jayaprakash Narayan.
“Bihar has always raised its voice whenever democracy came under threat. Today, that spirit is carried forward by my brothers Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav,” he told the gathering.
The march in Muzaffarpur saw the participation of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, DMK MP and Stalin‘s sister, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, and several INDIA Bloc leaders.
The ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ is headed towards Sitamarhi, and it will also go to West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Bhojpur and will culminate in Patna on September 1.
–IANS
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