NEW DELHI, NOV 1:

The INDIA bloc’s rally at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday against alleged electoral irregularities brought together people from across states and walks of life, with participants, while voicing concerns over voter deletions, also sharing their everyday struggles — inflation, unemployment and lack of public services.

Whether from Rajasthan, Haryana, Bihar or Uttar Pradesh, participants said while they had come to the capital to protest against alleged “vote theft”, the hardships that marred their daily lives remained unheeded. They accused the government of failing to alleviate the condition of the masses, who, they claimed, are so occupied with financial struggles that they can hardly engage with broader political issues.

For Bansilal Meena, the Sawai Madhopur district president of the Meena Samaj, the discontent was palpable even among sections of the BJP’s traditional support base.

“Ten years ago, Modi ruled people’s hearts. That has ended now. BJP workers are also unhappy, traders are unhappy,” he said, citing inflation, unemployment and farmers’ struggles.

Meena said rising agricultural input costs are adding to farmers’ difficulties, and claimed that a sack of fertiliser is selling for as much as Rs 2,700 — significantly higher than what it used to be. He also questioned the government’s handling of issues concerning the Agniveer recruitment scheme.

“Farmers and soldiers are both unhappy,” he asserted.

He also defended Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying he has not been involved in any scam.

Niraj Singh, who said he had earlier served as a Congress secretary, questioned the government’s development claims, citing the promise of ‘smart cities’ and the proposed transformation of Varanasi into Kyoto.

“Not one Smart City has come up until this day. Banaras was supposed to become Kyoto; we are still waiting for that,” he lashed out.

Singh said people who question the government are branded anti-national and anti-Hindu, also asserting that concerns regarding healthcare and education need greater attention. “We are as much Hindu as they are. We are just talking about health and education.”

Rasheed, who had travelled from Haryana’s Hisar, said unemployment and farmers’ concerns, among other issues, have brought him to the rally.

“Students are selling tea even after earning bachelor’s degrees. Farmers are struggling for fertiliser and water. The government should heed these concerns,” he said.

A group of participants from Aurangabad in Bihar, including Dr Nirala and PACS chairman Sanjay Kumar Yadav, said inflation, unemployment and alleged irregularities in electoral rolls had coaxed them to travel to Delhi.

Vipin Kumar Tripathi, a retired IIT Delhi professor and social activist, raised concerns over the implications of SIR for migrant workers.

Drawing a parallel with slum demolitions by branding them “illegal”, he said similar arguments were now being used to justify deletion of names from electoral rolls.

“First, houses were bulldozed saying they were illegal. Now, voters’ names are being deleted from electoral rolls to disenfranchise marginalised communities,” he said.

Tripathi said migration for work is common and questioned why labourers are being made to bear the consequences of administrative decisions.

He suggested that the existing voter list should be used to verify deceased voters and those who had turned 18 should be added.

Mahendra Singh, who had travelled from Buxar in Bihar, said concerns over alleged vote theft and irregularities in the SIR exercise are the foremost reasons for his participation.

He claimed in some constituencies, candidates had won by slim margins of 1,500 or 2,000 votes while 5,000 to 7,000 names had been deleted from the voter list.

Darshan, another participant, said there is a feeling among people that “the whole of Bihar has been stolen”.

Healthcare was another concern raised at the gathering. Laki Jaiswal questioned the Ayushman Bharat scheme, saying government hospitals still do not have adequate facilities.

The rally also featured a performance of the traditional tiger dance of Mangaluru. Members of the group said they had travelled to Delhi to showcase their cultural heritage while protesting against alleged electoral irregularities.

“We are bringing our culture here and making ourselves part of this movement,” a member of the group said. (Source: PTI)