SIR row: Nityanand Rai slams Tejashwi for 'misleading' public

Patna, Aug 15 Union Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, on Friday launched a sharp attack on RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav for "misleading" people and reminded him of the "misuse" of power in his father Lalu Pradad's tenure.

MoS Rai's remarks came after Tejashwi welcomed the Supreme Court's interim order directing the Election Commission to reveal names deleted from the voter list during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.

MoS Rai questioned Tejashwi's objections to the SIR exercise, alleging that the deletions targeted "foreign intruders" and "Rohingya Bangladeshis" who have no right to participate in India's democratic process.

"I want to ask Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav - do foreign intruders have voting rights? If infiltrators' names are being removed through SIR, why oppose it? The 13 crore people of Bihar and 140 crore citizens of the country deserve an answer," he said.

Earlier, Tejashwi had argued that the Election Commission's affidavit to the court contained no figures for infiltrators, questioning the basis of the deletions.

MoS Rai accused Tejashwi of attempting to mislead the public on Independence Day and invoked the RJD's past governance record.

"The whole of Bihar remembers how Lalu Yadav looted ballot boxes in the name of democracy, and how booth capturing became a political culture under RJD rule. From 1990 to 2005, Bihar saw open misuse of power, administration shielding criminals, and democracy being held hostage," Rai alleged.

Nityanand Rai urged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi to explain the history of alleged electoral malpractices in the country during their upcoming Vote Rights Yatra in Bihar.

"In a democracy, everyone has the right to express their views," Rai said.

"But the whole country should hear from Rahul Gandhi about how rigging was done in elections from the very first polls in 1951–52 during Congress rule, and how votes were stolen. He should also tell the nation how the election of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of our Constitution, was rigged in 1951–52 by the Congress government," he said.

Nityanand Rai accused the Congress of historically denying voting rights to marginalised communities in Bihar.

"During your party's rule, the poor and the backward were never truly given the right to vote. Why were the deprived always kept away from their democratic rights? The people of Bihar should get answers to this during your so-called Vote Rights Yatra," he said.

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