New Delhi, Dec 14 Amid the Congress party’s rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on Sunday over alleged 'vote chori', BJP leaders rejected the charges and questioned the intent and scale of the protest, with Bihar Minister Dilip Jaiswal suggesting that the opposition leaders should learn from Bihar’s SIR process.
Reacting to the Congress rally, Jaiswal defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and cited Bihar as a successful example. “The SIR process was first introduced in the country in Bihar, focusing on the revision of the donor list. In Bihar, more than a crore donors fully supported SIR and the proper updating of the list. Once the SIR process was completed in Bihar, there was a record turnout, and donors openly contributed. Opposition leaders should learn from this example,” Jaiswal said.
Taking a swipe at the Congress over the choice of venue and the allegations of electoral manipulation, BJP MLA Gopal Sharma also dismissed the rally. “The Ramlila Maidan is small, so how can a large rally be held there? It has 2,200 seats, but around 3,000 people attend. If a bigger rally is held, where will people go -- Bhavani Niketan, Sanganeri Stadium, or Vidyadhar Nagar Stadium?” Sharma said.
He further alleged that Congress was using the venue for symbolic reasons rather than public support. “Congress always holds rallies at Ramlila Maidan because of its historical association with Ramleela. It’s a traditional site, and they are maintaining their tradition. If there is any vote chor in the world, none is bigger than the Congress,” the BJP MLA added.
The Congress, meanwhile, has stepped up its campaign against what it calls vote chori, organising a rally at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday to target the central government and the Election Commission of India (ECI). The party alleges collusion between the government and the ECI to manipulate electoral processes, an accusation strongly denied by the ruling party.
The Congress high command is leading the protest, with party National President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi scheduled to address the gathering. Other senior leaders, including K.C. Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, are also participating in the rally.
Adding to the show of strength, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, along with all Congress legislators from the state and more than 1,000 party workers, have arrived in Delhi to join the protest.
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