Patna, Sep 1 On the concluding day of the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Patna, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav, on Monday, launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, accusing both of undermining democracy and conspiring with the Election Commission.
Addressing a huge public gathering, the LoP repeatedly asked the crowd: "Do you want the original CM or a duplicate CM? The choice is yours."
He said that Bihar, the "mother of democracy", would not allow the BJP's vote theft conspiracy to succeed.
"Two BJP leaders (PM Modi, Amit Shah), in collusion with the Election Commission, want to finish democracy in Bihar and the country. Do you want a monarchy or democracy? They are cheating the people of Bihar --setting up factories in Gujarat while seeking victory here. Such people must be given a befitting reply," he declared.
He also recalled his father Lalu Prasad Yadav's political legacy.
"Lalu Prasad Yadav got L.K. Advani arrested, his son Tejashwi would not be afraid of FIRs. Our God was born in jail. Lalu Prasad Yadav never bowed before them (BJP); Tejashwi will also not bow. We are keeping an eye on every corrupt officer, and once we come to power, action will be taken against them," LoP Tejashwi Yadav said.
Calling PM Modi a "factory of lies", Tejashwi raised slogans along with the crowd: "Desh ka bhoot, Modi ka jhoot."
Vikassheel Insaan Party chief Mukesh Sahani said the Voter Adhikar Yatra was only the beginning of a bigger struggle.
"When the country was under slavery, Independence came after 250 years of struggle. The Constitution then gave us the right to vote. Leaders should work for the people; otherwise, the public can change them. But PM Narendra Modi is not worried -- he wins not by votes, but by stealing them. This Yatra may be ending today, but the fight is not. We must go to every booth and make voters aware," Sahani added.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren accused the Centre of misusing central agencies.
"The NDA government intimidates Opposition representatives through conspiracies, Enforcement Directorate, and Income Tax raids. They jailed me as part of a conspiracy -- otherwise, after our full majority in Jharkhand, they (NDA) wouldn't have been allowed to open their account in the Lok Sabha. This vote theft is not new, but Rahul Gandhi has exposed it before the nation," Soren said.
CPI-ML General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya linked "vote theft" to earlier economic shocks.
"Just as demonetisation broke the backbone of India's economy, today an attempt is being made to destroy the democratic system of India through vote theft. That is why we launched the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar, raising the slogan: 'Vote Chor – Gaddi Chhod'."
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