Congress MP Rahul Gandhi arrived in Patna on Wednesday to participate in the ‘Bihar Bandh’ protests, spearheaded by the INDIA bloc against the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
Bihar Congress President Rajesh Ram said Gandhi’s presence underlines the seriousness of the issue. “Whenever the country faces a crisis, Rahul Gandhi is on the streets. Now, when voting rights are being threatened, he is standing with the people,” Ram told ANI.
The protests, which escalated across Patna and other regions, saw Congress workers blocking roads, burning tyres, and preventing vehicles from moving. Some workers lay down on the roads as a form of resistance.
“This bandh is for democracy. We won’t budge unless our demands are met,” said a protesting Congress worker. Another added, “Even if cars drive over us, we won’t move. The EC’s voter list revision is rigged.”
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav also criticised the SIR process, warning that many poor voters could lose their right to vote. “People don’t have the 11 documents required by the EC. All they have are Aadhar, MGNREGA, and ration cards. Excluding them is undemocratic,” he said.
The INDIA bloc has accused the Election Commission of favoring the ruling party by carrying out the voter list revision just ahead of elections. They demand the process be halted or revised to prevent alleged disenfranchisement of vulnerable groups.