Darbhanga/Arrah, August 30, 2025 – Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, faced protests in Bihar’s Darbhanga on Saturday when workers from the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) waved black flags and shouted slogans against him. The confrontation, which came during the ongoing “Voter Adhikar Yatra,” was triggered by alleged derogatory remarks made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother at a recent Mahagathbandhan event.

According to videos circulated by ANI, BJYM workers not only waved black flags but also attempted to climb onto Rahul Gandhi’s vehicle. Instead of reacting angrily, Rahul gestured for the protesters to come closer and was later seen offering them candies—a move that drew both surprise and applause from Congress supporters present at the rally.

Rahul’s Counterattack in Arrah

The Congress leader later held a public rally in Arrah as part of the same yatra, where he launched a fierce attack on the ruling BJP and the Election Commission of India. Accusing the NDA government of “vote chori,” Rahul alleged that the special intensive revision (SIR) underway in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections was “an attack on the Constitution and the democratic system of the country.”

“Voting is the right of Dalits, minorities and women, but the Narendra Modi government steals votes to win polls,” Rahul declared, repeating the slogan, “Vote chor, gaddi chhodd.” He alleged that the BJP, with the backing of the Election Commission, had already “succeeded in stealing votes” in Maharashtra and other states. The Congress, he vowed, would not allow a single vote to be stolen in Bihar.

Rahul added that the “Voter Adhikar Yatra” was not just a state-level campaign but would evolve into a “nationwide movement against the stealing of votes,” signaling the Congress party’s broader electoral battle strategy.

The Spark Behind the Protests

The Darbhanga protests followed outrage sparked by a viral video in which a person was seen using a Hindi expletive directed at Prime Minister Modi. The incident occurred on Wednesday at a Mahagathbandhan rally, from the very dais where Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had earlier addressed supporters before leaving for Muzaffarpur on motorcycles.

The accused, identified as Mohammad Rizvi alias Raza, was later arrested from Darbhanga’s Singhwara locality. The remarks provoked strong reactions from BJP leaders nationwide.

BJP’s Response

Union Home Minister Amit Shah strongly condemned the remarks and demanded that Rahul Gandhi issue a public apology. “Rahul Gandhi should apologise for abuses hurled at the Prime Minister, his late mother,” Shah said in Guwahati. BJP workers clashed with Congress cadres in Patna on Friday, further escalating tensions between the two rival parties in Bihar.

A High-Stakes Battle

The incidents in Darbhanga and Arrah underscore the charged political climate in Bihar as the Assembly elections approach. With the Congress positioning the “Voter Adhikar Yatra” as a campaign for safeguarding democracy, and the BJP accusing Rahul of tacitly endorsing offensive remarks, the stage appears set for a bitter electoral fight.

For now, Rahul Gandhi’s unusual gesture of offering candies to protesting BJYM workers has added a dramatic twist to the episode—one that his supporters describe as a display of “Gandhian patience” and his critics dismiss as political theatrics.