- RJD claimed Jitan Ram Manjhi admitted to rigging the 2020 election in a viral video
- Manjhi denied the charges and said the video was tampered with to defame him
- RJD criticised the Election Commission for ignoring the alleged election rigging
The RJD has accused Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi of winning elections by rigging, sharing a video of the former Bihar chief minister in which he was purportedly heard admitting he had won a 2020 election through the efforts of the then district magistrate. Denying the charges, Manjhi has claimed that the video was tampered with by those trying to defame him.
In the purported video, Manjhi is allegedly heard revealing that he was trailing by 2,700 votes in the Tikri seat in Gaya in 2020, but he ended up winning with help from the then DM Abhishek Singh, now posted in Tripura. This time, he lost the seat by 1,600 votes, and the officer called him to inquire what went wrong, according to the Maghi-language speech.
Watch the video here:
The RJD targeted Manjhi and the Election Commission, alleging that the Union minister has exposed election rigging and corrupt machinery.
"This is Jitan Ram Manjhi Ji...who is delivering a resounding slap on the face of a petty, servile commissioner like Thugesh Kumar (referring to Gyanesh Kumar, Chief Election Commissioner) from a public platform, revealing the royal formula for winning elections through rigging the results, machinery, and foul play," the RJD alleged.
It also described the then DM as a "corrupt, casteist, and unworthy" official from the Tripura cadre, who was posted in Bihar on a deputation basis.
"Where are the corrupt election commissioners and the Election Commission now? Is this what democracy looks like? ...How long will you keep winning fake elections with the help of corrupt officers' dark deeds?" the opposition party questioned.
"Manjhi Is A Brand, Not Afraid Of Anyone"
Manjhi claimed that the video was tampered with to defame him, proudly declaring that he has now become a "brand" that can no longer be intimidated.
"Some people tampered with one of my videos to make it viral, believing that they could defame the son of Musahar (a caste). I want to tell such people that no one can either insult the son of a Musahar or fool him."
""Those who spit at the sky, you are forgetting that the spit will fall back on your own face." Now, Manjhi is a brand and is no longer afraid of anyone," said the Union Minister.
The RJD's ally, the Congress, had been alleging vote theft by the BJP and the EC, with the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, taking out a pan-Bihar 'Voter Adhikar' rally ahead of the state elections held in November. Manjhi's party, Hindustani Awam Morcha, won five seats in the election. It is part of the ruling coalition comprising the BJP and Nitish Kumar's JDU.
