Rahul Gandhi accuses Modi government of ‘vote theft’ through electoral roll revision in Bihar

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday mounted a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led NDA government, alleging that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar was an attempt to “steal votes of the poor.”

Speaking at a rally in Araria during the ongoing Voter Adhikar Yatra, Gandhi described the SIR as an “institutionalised method to manipulate votes,” claiming it was being implemented with the backing of the Election Commission. “After privatising public sector undertakings, the Narendra Modi government now wants to rob the poor of their democratic rights through the SIR, with the help of the Election Commission,” he said.

In a scathing remark, Gandhi mocked the poll body as “election omission” instead of Election Commission, accusing it of facilitating an unconstitutional process aimed at disenfranchising marginalised communities ahead of the Bihar assembly elections.

“The INDIA bloc will not allow this to happen in Bihar. The Constitution guarantees equal rights to every citizen… the SIR is unconstitutional and anti-democratic. People of Bihar will deliver a fitting reply to the BJP and its allies in the upcoming polls,” he declared.

Beyond electoral issues, Gandhi also criticised the Modi government for what he called “systematic denial of opportunities” to the poor and youth. He argued that widespread privatisation of public sector units had already eroded employment prospects, and now the government was attempting to undermine democratic rights as well.

The Voter Adhikar Yatra, a 1,300-km march launched on August 17 from Sasaram, will traverse over 20 districts in 16 days and conclude with a mega rally in Patna on September 1.