Patna: Tejashwi Yadav and INDIA bloc leaders protested against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The protest, called the ‘Aakrosh March,’ was halted by police as the leaders marched towards Lok Bhavan.
Protest March and Police Intervention
The demonstration began at Shaheed Smarak in front of the state assembly and progressed toward Lok Bhavan. Police stopped the procession near the office of the chief electoral officer. A senior police officer stated that when protesters tried to breach security barricades, they were taken into custody and transported to Lok Bhavan in a police vehicle.
Leaders’ Reaction and Incident During Protest
During the agitation, former CPI (ML) Liberation MLA Ajit Kushwaha fainted. Several RJD leaders, including MLAs, climbed atop the police vehicle carrying Tejashwi Yadav. While being taken away, Yadav accused the NDA leaders of destroying democracy and claimed that the administration was protecting Gyanesh Kumar unfairly.
Statements from Officials and Protest Leaders
Patna SSP Kartikeya Sharma clarified that Tejashwi Yadav was not detained but transported along with several other leaders to Bihar Lok Bhavan. He mentioned that some other INDIA bloc leaders were detained at the site. Yadav alleged that barricades were placed to shield Gyanesh Kumar and accused those in power of attaining their positions through fraudulent means, calling them ‘vote chors’ (vote thieves).
