Rajasthan: Congress stages protest against ‘vote theft’ in Jaipur

Jaipur, Aug 13 Rajasthan Congress, led by its President Govind Singh Dotasra, on Wednesday organised a ‘Vote Chor - Gaddi Chhod’ foot march from the party headquarters to Shaheed Smarak in Jaipur, alleging that the BJP is trying to suppress the issue of vote theft after Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi exposed “large-scale” electoral fraud in the country.

The march was attended by former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, AICC General Secretary Sachin Pilot, Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully, Congress MLAs, MLA candidates, PCC officials, and a large number of party workers and leaders.

Addressing the gathering, Dotasra said LoP Rahul Gandhi’s revelations proved that the BJP-led Central government was formed through fraudulent votes.

“The slogan ‘Vote Chor – Gaddi Chhod’ is echoing across the nation. The BJP is attacking democracy on two fronts - by gaining power through fake votes and by deleting lakhs of opposition voters from the rolls under the guise of SIR,” he alleged.

He claimed that several seats in Rajasthan were affected by vote theft and accused the Election Commission of refusing to provide the Congress with the digital voter list despite repeated requests.

“Our leaders are determined to expose this fraud in Rajasthan. It will soon be clear that LoP Rahul Gandhi’s allegations are entirely correct,” Dotasra said.

Announcing a massive public movement against vote theft, Dotasra informed that on August 14 at 8 PM, District Congress Committees will hold a ‘Vote Chor – Gaddi Chhod’ candle march at all district headquarters, followed by public awareness campaigns.

He accused BJP leaders of acting like dictators, violating the Constitution, and using “Saam-Daam-Dand-Bhed” to keep the opposition from power.

“We will take this campaign to every village and hamlet of the state,” he declared.

Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said he joined the march because the entire country is waking up against the alleged #VoteChori by the Election Commission in favour of the BJP.

Speaking to the media, Sachin Pilot said that instead of the ECI answering the charges, the BJP is defending them.

“They are demanding an affidavit from LoP Rahul Gandhi. The government should stay away from this. The ECI has a moral and constitutional duty to ensure every vote is genuine. We have only asked for an investigation, but they are refusing,” he said.

Pilot alleged that in some constituencies, thousands of votes had been altered, fake names and addresses added, and genuine voters deleted.

He also questioned why a member was removed from the process, why voter lists were withheld, and why CCTV footage was being destroyed, calling it an attempt to erase evidence.

“When Rahul Gandhi exposed the theft, the ECI remained silent while the BJP defended it. What right does the BJP have? The ECI is the soul of democracy and must protect it. Instead, notices are issued, affidavits demanded, MPs detained, and leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge arrested,” Pilot said.

He reiterated that Congress has presented irregularities with evidence.

“Silence from the ECI means there is something to hide. This campaign is not a one-day protest but a long struggle. Tomorrow, there will be candle marches and nationwide protests. This is about protecting India’s democracy. Wins and losses happen in elections, but deleting lakhs of genuine votes and compromising the ECI’s independence is a grave threat to the nation,” he concluded.

--IANS

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