"We won't spare the Election Commission. They have destroyed the lives of the poor people of the country..."
RJD, Congress Call Bihar Bandh; Rahul Gandhi, Pappu Yadav Join Bihar Bandh Latest News: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress party have jointly called for a Bihar Bandh and 'Chakka Jam' (road blockade) today, July 9, against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar ahead of the 2025 State Assembly Elections.
Member Parliament and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has also joined the protest. Independent MP from Purnea, Pappu Yadav, arrived at the railway track at Sachiwalay Halt railway station to participate in the agitation.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, "... The Election Commission has become a wing of a political party... Will two people from Gujarat decide which Bihari voter can vote and which can not?" He alleged that names of voters are being removed from the voter list.
"The Election Commission has lost its credibility. Preparations are going on a large scale to remove the names of poor people from the voter list. First, their names are being removed, then their pensions and their rations will also be taken away..." Tejashwi added.
On Wednesday morning, Congress workers were seen blocking the railway track at Sachiwalay Halt railway station. Some Congress leaders were also seen lying down on the road in a queue, attempting to block vehicles.
A Congress worker lying on the road told ANI, "... Entire Bihar has been successfully shut down. The Mahagathbandhan is united against the rigging done by the Election Commission... We will not get up even if a car tramples us..."
Another Congress worker lying on the road said, "We will keep doing this until the government accepts our demands. We will fight to the extent our leadership says... The ruling party is only trying to confuse the people."
RJD workers in Patna also are also holding protests against the SIR process as part of the 'Bihar Bandh' called by the Mahagathbandhan.
An RJD worker told ANI, "Under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav and Rahul Gandhi, leaders and workers of Mahagathbandhan will protest against the Modi government and the Election Commission of India."
Congress President Rajesh Ram stated, "... Whenever the country has faced a crisis, Rahul Gandhi has fought on the streets. Today, voting is on the verge of being banned, we are fighting for it, and Rahul Gandhi is coming here for it..."
Independent MP Pappu Yadav raised the slogan 'Chunav Aayog hosh mein aayo' as he joined Congress workers during the 'Bihar Bandh' protest.
He alleged that the Election Commission was attacking voters’ rights, stating, "Who is the Election Commission to ask us about our citizenship? I was born here. My forefathers were born here... Have we come from Pakistan or China? Is the Election Commission the B team of the BJP? How were we able to vote for so long then? They are attacking our right to vote. This decision (of 'Bihar Bandh') was taken under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi..."
He further said, "We won't spare the Election Commission. They have destroyed the lives of the poor people of the country..."
Meanwhile, according to a press release by the Election Commission of India, as of 6 PM on July 8, nearly 47% of the enumeration forms—3.70 crore out of 7.89 crore electors—have been collected under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Bihar. The Commission stated that over 97% of the printed forms have been distributed, with a significant portion already uploaded online.
Despite the ongoing political protests and accusations of voter suppression, the ECI expressed confidence in completing the exercise on time, with 17 days still remaining before the July 25 deadline.
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