Bhubaneswar, August 14: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Thursday organised a massive torch rally in the state capital, protesting what it described as large-scale “vote theft” and branding it a direct assault on democracy.
The rally, which commenced at Rajmahal Square and culminated at Master Canteen Square, saw party members appealing to citizens to safeguard their voting rights.
Addressing the gathering, OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das accused the BJP of “grabbing power” through the theft of votes. “Vote theft is nothing less than the murder of democracy. The right to vote is a fundamental pillar of our system, yet the rights of more than 12.5 crore voters in Bihar are being trampled upon,” Das said.
He further criticised the removal of migrant labourers from Bihar from the voter list, alleging they were wrongly categorised as residents of other states. “Such actions are unjust. The Election Commission must intervene and ensure that the names of all eligible voters are recorded without discrimination,” he urged.
Senior Congress leaders, including Suresh Routray and Jayadev Jena, along with representatives from various District Congress Committees, actively participated in the demonstration.
