Patna, Aug 11 (IANS) As INDIA Bloc leaders, including Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, led a protest march from Parliament House to the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters on Monday, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari called it a fight to stop “vote theft.”

The protest was organised in opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, which the Opposition claims is a move to manipulate voter data ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

Speaking to IANS, Mrityunjay Tiwari said, “This protest is being waged both in the House and on the streets. There are deliberate attempts to weaken democracy. We will not allow vote theft with SIR. This is a major battle to safeguard democratic principles.”

Reacting to the ECI’s demand that LoP Rahul Gandhi either issue a formal declaration or apologise for his statements regarding electoral integrity, Tiwari alleged that the poll body was working under the influence of the central government.

“It is evident that the ECI is acting on a script written by the Centre. Rahul Gandhi is the Leader of the Opposition; he has raised serious concerns, and it is the duty of the ECI to clarify. Instead, they are asking for oaths. What oath is needed? The Election Commission has deviated from its responsibility and accountability,” he told IANS.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police on Monday detained several INDIA Bloc leaders, including LoP Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Trinamool Congress leader Sagarika Ghose, and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, Sanjay Raut, as they attempted to march to the ECI’s office.

Among the key figures leading the protest were Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav. The leaders accused the ECI of failing to prevent voter list tampering during last year’s Lok Sabha elections and claimed the SIR process in Bihar is another attempt to manipulate the democratic process.

In a dramatic moment during the protest, Akhilesh Yadav was seen jumping over a police barricade as security personnel tried to halt the march. Several other leaders were detained for attempting to breach the barricades en route to the ECI office.

Following his detention, LoP Rahul Gandhi told reporters, “The ECI cannot even speak, and this is the reality. The truth is visible to the nation. This march is not political; it is a battle to protect the Constitution — a fight for ‘one man, one vote.’ We demand a clean and transparent voter list.”

–IANS

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