Patna: Bihar Leader of the Opposition, Tejashwi Yadav, launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a rally in Motihari on Thursday, alleging that the Centre was attempting to “dismantle democracy” and replace it with “monarchy.”
Tejashwi, while addressing a huge gathering, said, “In democracy, the people are the masters, but Narendra Modi wants to concentrate all power in his own hands by ending democracy. With the help of the Election Commission, he wants to finish democracy itself.”
The RJD leader accused the BJP-led government of trying to “snatch” away the voting rights of ordinary citizens.
“They not only want to steal votes, but also want to erase the existence of the poor people of the country. They have started their exercise from Bihar through Special Intensive Revision of the voter lists to steal votes,” he said.
Tejashwi Yadav evoked socialist icons and constitutional leaders, stating:
“Lalu Prasad Yadav, Ram Manohar Lohia and Baba Saheb Ambedkar all said that the power of the vote lies with the people. The Constitution made the public the masters and the leaders their servants. But Narendra Modi wants to become a king and treat citizens like Praja.”
Criticising the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of the Election Commission, Tejashwi Yadav alleged that it was being misused to benefit the BJP in Bihar.
“The SIR is nothing but a tool to steal votes of common people and weaken democracy in Bihar,” he claimed.
The remarks come amid a heated political atmosphere in Bihar, where both the ruling NDA and opposition INDIA bloc have intensified mass contact campaigns ahead of the elections.
On day 12 of the Voters Adhikar Yatra, reached Motihari, the district headquarters of East Champaran.
It will go to Bettiah in West Champaran, Gopalganj and Siwan on Friday, followed by Saran and Bhojpur on Saturday and will culminate in Patna on Monday.
(IANS)
