Kanhaiya Kumar, Pappu Yadav denied stage access at Mahagathbandhan protest in Bihar; JDU takes a dig
The incident has now triggered sharp reactions, with the ruling Janata Dal (United) taking a swipe at the Mahagathbandhan over internal discord. The Mahagathbandhan's protest rally had kicked off from the Income Tax Roundabout in Patna.
A political stir unfolded during the Mahagathbandhan's protest march against the Election Commission's alleged voter list discrepancies in Bihar. As the opposition alliance held a statewide protest on Wednesday, a controversy erupted when Kanhaiya Kumar and Purnia MP Pappu Yadav were reportedly stopped from going to the main stage, even as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was present. The incident has now triggered sharp reactions, with the ruling Janata Dal (United) taking a swipe at the Mahagathbandhan over internal discord.
Top Opposition leaders join Rahul Gandhi in protest
The protest saw massive participation from Opposition parties across Bihar. Prominent leaders gathered in Patna, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, CPI General Secretary D Raja, CPM leader M A Baby, and Dipankar Bhattacharya from CPI (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation. However, the incident involving Kanhaiya Kumar and Pappu Yadav being stopped from stepping onto the stage turned heads and raised questions over unity within the Mahagathbandhan.
Speaking with news agency ANI after the protest, Pappu Yadav said, “I fell down and got hurt. One leader from each party was present there, but this is not an insult. Who sees this as what it depends on them….Nothing is greater than the public; it is acceptable to be insulted for them, not just once but even a million times.”
What Did JDU Say?
Reacting to the incident, JDU spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan poked fun at the Opposition alliance, claiming, “Tejashwi Yadav clearly doesn’t like Kanhaiya Kumar and Pappu Yadav, whereas Rahul Gandhi is fond of them. Yet, Tejashwi had his way and Congress couldn’t do anything about it.” The statement reflects ongoing friction within the alliance as Bihar prepares for crucial upcoming elections, he added.
Protest march reaches Election Commission office
The Mahagathbandhan's protest rally kicked off from the Income Tax Roundabout in Patna, with a massive crowd of supporters accompanying their leaders in an open vehicle procession. The march covered a distance of nearly 1.5 km to reach the Election Commission’s office. Addressing the crowd, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission, accusing it of functioning as an extension of the ruling BJP. He alleged that the commission was attempting to manipulate the voter list to replicate the "Maharashtra model" in Bihar. Rahul Gandhi claimed that the BJP-led alliance's sweeping win in the Maharashtra assembly elections was a result of "electoral roll tampering".