Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RSLP) leader Upendra Kushwaha was seen calling for violence while addressing a press conference in Patna today. Kushwaha said that Mahagathbandhan workers and the people of Bihar should not shy away from picking up weapons if it is needed to protect their votes.

Upendra Kushwaha, RLSP in Patna: Vote ki raksha ke liye zaroorat pade toh hathiyaar bhi uthana ho toh uthaiye. Aaj jo result loot ki jo ghatna karne ki jo koshish ho rahi hai toh isko rokne ke liye hathiyaar bhi uthana ho toh uthana chahiye. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/g29bsWGyre — ANI (@ANI) May 21, 2019

Kushwaha recalled the remarks of former Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur, popularly known as Jan Nayak, made during the times when booth capturing was common in the State, and said that Karpoori Thakur used to say that votes were no less valuable than one’s reputation and food and that even picking up weapons was justified if it was done for protecting the votes. “Jaise jaan ki suraksha k liye kanoon humko adhikar deta hai k jab jarurat pade to aap hathiyar bhi uthaiye usi tarah vote ki raksha k liye zaroorat pade to hamare Karpoori Thakur Ji kehte the k hathiyar bhi uthana ho to uthaiye. (Just like the law provides us with the right of private defence to save our life, similarly, Karpoori Thakur Ji used to say that if it is required to protect the votes then one should not shy away from picking up weapons)”, said Kushwaha.

Accusing the Central government of tampering with the votes, Kushwaha said, “Result loot karne ki jo koshish ho rahi hai to nishchit roop se hum Mahagathbandhan ke hamare sathiyo se aur Bihar ki janta se kahenge ki is tarah ki ghatna ko rokne ke liye hathiyar bhi uthana ho to uthaiye. (There are attempts being made to tamper with the election results and in such a situation I would like to urge to the Mahagathbandhan allies and the people of Bihar to even pick up weapons to stop this.)”

Kushwaha’s comments come in the wake of fresh allegations of EVM tampering that were levelled by the opposition parties as soon as the exit poll results came out. However, the Election Commission put the controversy to rest and issued a clarification that the EVMs were handled as per guidelines and protocols.