New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI) - Stepping up their campaign against alleged electoral fraud termed 'vote chori', the Congress released a new video on Wednesday. This video purportedly demonstrates how fake votes are being cast, with party leader Mallikarjun Kharge urging the public to speak up and protect constitutional institutions from what he described as the "clutches of the BJP".
Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi shared the minute-long clip, emphasizing, "Theft of your vote is theft of your rights, theft of your identity." Tagging the video titled 'booth par vote chori', Kharge called on citizens not to allow their voting rights to be usurped. "This time, demand answers, raise your voice against vote chori," he proclaimed, urging the public to "Free constitutional institutions from the clutches of the BJP" through a message on X.
The video depicts a family arriving at a polling station, only to be informed by two others that their votes have already been cast. It concludes with these individuals casting fake votes and giving a thumbs-up to an official at a table labeled 'election chori aayog'.
The Congress previously declared on Tuesday that "vote chori" is a "do-or-die" matter for them, announcing a detailed strategy to bring their allegations to the forefront through initiatives such as 'Loktantra bachao mashaal marches' set for the evening of August 14.
The opposition party insists that fresh "evidence" of "vote chori" is surfacing, suggesting the issue might be more severe, escalating from mere theft to what they termed a "dacoity".
This declaration followed a meeting led by Kharge, attended by a host of Congress figures including former leader Rahul Gandhi, general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh, K C Venugopal, and others featuring Sachin Pilot, Bhanwar Jitendra Singh, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, and treasurer Ajay Maken.
After this gathering, Congress leader and AICC in-charge of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) Kanhaiya Kumar addressed reporters, highlighting the emergence of a "big issue" of "vote chori".
"Rahul Gandhi ji has exposed the truth with evidence of how democracy is being suffocated," Kumar mentioned.
He elaborated on three significant programs the Congress plans to introduce, aiming to involve the public further.
On August 14, coinciding with the eve of Independence Day, 'Loktantra bachao mashaal marches' will occur at district headquarters, Kumar explained. From August 22 to September 7, the Congress will stage "vote chor, gaddi chhorh (vote thieves, relinquish power)" rallies in state capitals.
"We plan to conduct a signature campaign between September 15 and October 15 to safeguard voting rights and encourage citizen participation," he added, noting the collective stance of the entire INDIA bloc on this issue.
The Congress also unveiled a web portal to enable people to register their demand for accountability from the election commission against the perceived "vote chori" and express support for digital voter rolls.
Gandhi encouraged citizens to back this movement by signing up on votechori.in/ecdemand.
The link allows users to download "vote chori proof, hold the EC accountable, and report vote chori".
Gandhi's video on the portal reiterates his claims of a "massive criminal fraud" in elections arising from alleged collusion between the BJP and the EC.
He supported his assertion with constituency analysis from Karnataka, denouncing it as "a crime against the Constitution".
On Monday, a protest march by opposition MPs, including Rahul Gandhi, Kharge, and Pawar, moved from Parliament House toward the Election Commission office. They protested electoral roll revisions in Bihar and alleged "vote chori," but police halted them midway, leading to brief detentions amid high drama.
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