BHOJPUR HOSTS GRAND VOTER RIGHTS YATRA AMID BJP PROTESTS

BHOJPUR HOSTS GRAND VOTER RIGHTS YATRA AMID BJP PROTESTS

30-AUG-ENG 1

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA---------------------------Bhojpur district witnessed a vibrant and historic spectacle as the Voter Adhikar Yatra, led by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, and other INDIA bloc leaders, rolled into the region on its 14th day. The event, aimed at raising awareness about alleged voter suppression and protecting democratic rights, drew thousands of supporters but was marred by significant protests from Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcah(BJPYM) workers in Ara city. The Bhojpur district administration had made elaborate security arrangement and had deployed thousands of police personnel and magistrates at different points to maintain law and order with an instruction to use force if anyone tried to disturb the law and order and the rally. The district administration had also deployed dozens of doctors along with ANMs and medicines and ambulance.

The district was adorned like a bride, with banners, posters, and ceremonial arches lining the streets, creating a festive atmosphere and also turned the Ara town into a fairy land. A massive tent was erected at the rally venue, the Veer Kunwar Singh Stadium in Ramna Maidan, Ara, to accommodate the large crowd and the meeting venue was jam packed. Even the entire town was virtually packed. Arrangements for food and water ensured the comfort of workers and guests. The yatra featured a spectacular display of Bhojpur’s cultural heritage, with traditional tableaux, folk dances, flower showers, and a procession of 50 horses, camels, and elephants. Thousands of workers, wielding flags, banners, and posters, thronged the streets, many wearing T-shirts featuring images of Tejashwi Yadav and local leader Rambabu Singh.

The yatra began in Babura, Badahara Assembly constituency, covering a 30-kilometer route through Koilwar before reaching Ara. Supporters greeted the convoy at multiple points along the four-lane road, passing through Sapna Cinema Mor, Sakaddi-Kayamnagar, and Dharhara. At Ara, leaders paid tributes at the statues of Babu Veer Kunwar Singh and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar before addressing a massive public gathering at the stadium. Prominent leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani, Rohini Acharya, joined Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav, with several state chief ministers.

Rambabu Singh, a key local organizer, declared, “The people of Bhojpur and Badahara poured out like a flood. This is not just a yatra but a historic fight to save democracy and protect voting rights.” The event, covering over 1,300 km across 20 districts, is set to conclude in Patna on September 1, ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections expected later this year.

The yatra faced intense opposition as it entered Ara’s main thoroughfare. BJP workers, chanting “Narendra Modi Zindabad” and “Rahul Gandhi Wapas Jao,” waved black flags and protested against the opposition leaders despite deployment of heavy police force and magistrates to deal with such a situation.The sudden demonstration saw BJP supporters rushing toward the convoy, creating a tense moment. Rahul Gandhi, unfazed, was seen blowing flying kisses to the crowd and even the protestors as he moved forward. Despite robust security arrangements by the district administration, the brief protest raised questions about preparedness, with police quickly dispersing the demonstrators. Several BJP workers fled the scene, and authorities have launched an investigation, deploying additional security forces in Ara..

The BJP condemned the yatra, accusing Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav of misleading the public and undermining democracy. A BJP spokesperson stated, “Rahul Gandhi is here to confuse Bihar’s people. The public’s sentiments were expressed through our workers’ protests.” The party has also capitalized on a prior incident in Darbhanga, where Congress and RJD workers allegedly used abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother, Heeraben Modi, during the yatra. The BJP filed an FIR in Patna and demanded an apology, with leaders like Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary calling the remarks a “stain on democracy” and an insult to Indian culture. The Bihar Women’s Commission issued notices to Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav, seeking their response to the Darbhanga incident.

Congress and RJD leaders dismissed the BJP’s protests as politically motivated. A Congress spokesperson asserted, “Rahul Gandhi is the voice of the poor and common people. The BJP is rattled by our outreach and resorting to such tactics.” Tejashwi Yadav accused the BJP of colluding with the Election Commission to disenfranchise voters through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging it targets migrants, Dalits, and the poor. “We will not allow the BJP’s ‘Godi Aayog’ to steal Bihar’s votes. This yatra is a revolution to protect democracy,” he said. Rahul Gandhi echoed these sentiments, claiming the BJP was caught “red-handed” in vote theft and promising to expose similar irregularities in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Karnataka.

RJD leader Sanjay Yadav described the yatra as an “Ashirwad Yatra,” noting the overwhelming public support and predicting a change in Bihar’s political landscape. Akhilesh Yadav, joining the yatra in Siwan, called the Election Commission a “Jugaad Commission” for the BJP, reinforcing the opposition’s narrative of electoral bias.

The Voter Adhikar Yatra, launched on August 17 from Sasaram, has become a high-stakes political battleground in Bihar. The opposition’s focus on voter rights and allegations of electoral fraud has resonated with large crowds, while the BJP’s counterattacks and protests underscore the intense rivalry ahead of the polls. The events in Bhojpur, blending cultural grandeur with political friction, mark a significant moment in the fight for democratic rights and electoral transparency in Bihar.