Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 8: The opposition INDIA bloc leaders held a sit-in protest at the Rajghat on Thursday demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar accused of taking unilateral decisions on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls to benefit the ruling BJP.
Like on Wednesday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge hosted INDIA bloc MPs for lunch on Thursday at Moets in Connaught Place, after which they left for Rajghat in the buses parked outside the restaurant to ferry the MPs post lunch to continue their protest against the CEC.
“Around 300 MPs from the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha want to hold a peaceful protest. For the last two days, we have not been allowed to protest. On the first day, we were stopped in front of the Election Commission. After that, we said we wanted to go to Jantar Mantar to protest, but yesterday we were stopped there as well, and our people were beaten. They will be brought to justice. This is our guarantee. You will see that these four people are brought to justice,” Rahul Gandhi said after the lunch. Kharge said the MPs will stage a peaceful protest at the Gandhi smarak.
INDIA bloc leaders, including Mr Kharge, Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, paid tribute at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Rajghat and held a sit-in on Thursday.
The Opposition MPs have also got an appointment with President Droupadi Murmu on Friday. The INDIA bloc had sought a meeting with the President for 15 MPs to petition against the poll panel. Rashtrapati Bhavan has, however, agreed to a delegation of 10 MPs to meet on Friday. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Kharge, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee are likely to be part of the Opposition’s delegation.
In view of the opposition agitation, security has been beefed up at Kumar’s Delhi residence, the Election Commission office and for his personal security, sources say, adding that there would be a 24-hour police presence around the CEC’s residence. Security changes were made based on the current threat perception, sources said.
Delhi Police has registered an FIR against Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for allegedly assaulting police personnel and obstructing government work during their protest on Wednesday, police sources said on Thursday. Besides several Congress leaders, the FIR has been filed against party workers who took part in the protest. Police are examining the allegations and the role of those involved, the sources said. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi were also booked by cops on Wednesday for trespassing into Akashvani Bhavan during their Tuesday protest.
Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee participated in the “people’s tribunal” on the SIR of electoral rolls in Bengaluru’s Freedom Park on Thursday followed by a “chappal protest.” Mr Dipke accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “murdering democracy and vote theft,” and said protests would go on till Mr Kumar resigned from his post.
The Indian Youth Congress moved the Delhi High Court over Delhi police’s refusal to allow its Jantar Mantar protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise. The Court has agreed to hear the plea on Friday.
The Delhi government on Thursday directed the closure of liquor stores in the city on Friday and Saturday due to the “prevailing” situation to maintain public order. An order issued by the Excise Department said the closure of liquor vends was based on Delhi Police inputs as a preventive measure aimed at maintaining “public order.” Besides, the opposition parties, a call for protest at Jantar Mantar from Saturday has also been given by the CJP.
Speaking to media persons at Rajghat, Mr Kharge said, “Look, this is the third day of protest, we have done peaceful protest, we raised the issues of people, we came here and offered prayers for good sense to the government, the vote theft should stop, those who did mistakes should resign, and people’s right to vote should be intact,” he said.
“The entire country is united today. The country demands Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. PM should bow before the nation and remember that he himself had called himself ‘Pradhansevak’,” said Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi. “As the Prime Minister, he should listen to the voice of the country and leave trying to win the election through deceit with the help of the Election Commission,” he added.
An FIR was also registered against five named and about 150 unidentified Samajwadi Party workers and office-bearers for allegedly violating prohibitory orders while protesting against Mr Kumar in Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Thursday.
According to police, the SP workers took out a procession on Wednesday and staged a protest at Ambedkar Chowk, without the superintendent of police’s permission. Despite being stopped by police, the protesters continued their demonstration, raised slogans and allegedly burnt an effigy of the Election Commission chief.
Meanwhile, the veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi said governments elected by the people should not perish if elections were fair, governments accountable and bureaucracy transparent. Amid opposition protests over alleged electoral irregularities, Joshi said any constitutional violation should be examined by the Supreme Court.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s reported Chennai visit on Saturday has prompted DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran to question whether he will meet TVK chief Vijay. Maran cited TVK’s cautious response to Rahul’s arrest and alleged Vijay’s “double action” of balancing Congress and BJP interests, questioning how long such politics can continue.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya criticised Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over their protests, contrasting them with Mahatma Gandhi’s movements. Maurya said Gandhi’s campaigns maintained dignity and avoided confrontation, while alleging that protests led by the Congress leaders have been marked by scuffles and a disregard for decorum.
Several senior Opposition leaders are in Delhi or expected to arrive ahead of the INDIA bloc’s planned protest. TMC leaders Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee are among those present. CPM general secretary MA Baby has also reached Delhi, while Telangana CM Revanth Reddy and Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu are likely to join.