AICC general secretary K C Venugopal on Saturday said the would stage a major protest in Delhi on Monday as part of its continuing fight to protect people’s voting rights.
INDIA bloc leaders on Friday met President Murmu and flagged the issue of its “vote chori” claims to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and repeal of all assembly polls held in the last two years, with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi saying he was “shocked” that the president did not deny the ‘election theft’ charge.
Rahul says Opposition leaders will meet CJI on Monday
After the meeting, Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition leaders would go to the Supreme Court on Monday to meet Chief Justice Surya Kant and hand over a memorandum to him too, as they wanted to avail all options available.
The delegation of INDIA bloc leaders met the president and handed over a memorandum to her on alleged “vote chori” while demanding suspension of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and restoration of 13.3 crore voters deleted illegally from the voter lists.
Opposition demands repeal of 2023 law providing life-long immunity to CEC and ECs
The opposition parties in the memorandum submitted to President Murmu demanded the repeal of the 2023 law providing life-long immunity to CEC and ECs, besides return to paper ballots for all future elections.
They said President Murmu sought proof of ‘vote chori’ from the leaders and the INDIA bloc will hand over the evidence it has to her when she is ready to accept it, Rahul Gandhi told reporters after the delegation comprising him, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, NCP(SP)’s Supriya Sule, SP’s Rajeev Rai, RJD’s Manoj Jha, VCK chief Thol.Thirumavalavan, CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby and CPI’s D Raja met her.
While alleging that “vote chori” has destroyed the very foundation of democracy, they said they had incontrovertible proof that theft of votes has taken place in election after election and cited the examples of Haryana, Maharashtra, MP, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Delhi and West Bengal.
It should be noted that the INDIA bloc MPs earlier met in the central hall of Samvidhan Sadan, where they deliberated on memorandum to be submitted to the President and finalised it. Then they moved from Parliament House to Vijay Chowk, where they were stopped by the police which had put up barricades. They were carrying a big “Save Democracy” banner and raised slogans against the government, the prime minister and the CEC.
Will join INDIA bloc march on Monday: Mamata Banerjee
“Along with our 4 MPs, we have started our dharna at Dwarka North PS where we have been brought. We were kidnapped and driven around in a prison van for two hours. I am not returning to Kolkata tonight and in protest against all that is happening today against the youth and all, I will join the I.N.D.I.A march on Monday,” Mamata Banerjee said.