Congress announces a massive protest in Delhi against the Election Commission and CEC Gyanesh Kumar. Rahul Gandhi calls for a march to the Supreme Court, urging people to join and demand an end to alleged ‘vote chori’ and Kumar’s resignation.
Congress MP Jebi Mather on Sunday said Delhi would witness an unprecedented protest on Monday, as Congress continues to raise questions over the functioning of the Election Commission of India and the controversy surrounding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
BJP Accused of Diversion Tactics
Speaking about the Congress leaders’ meeting in Delhi and the planned protest, Mather said, “Tomorrow, Delhi will witness a protest which Delhi has never witnessed.” Reacting to BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi’s remarks on Rahul Gandhi’s address at the ‘Students’ Voice’ event in Chennai, Mather accused the BJP of attempting to divert attention from the issues raised by the Congress. “The BJP, too, is at a juncture where it is unsure of what to do or how to handle this crisis. It is a situation of constitutional deadlock, and as the party leading the government, the BJP is the one facing scrutiny. That is why they are attempting to divert attention and shift the discussion to other matters. What Rahul Gandhi said at the ‘Students’ Voice’ event in Chennai is significant, and both he and we will continue to raise these points,” she said.
Congress Details Allegations Against ECI
Congress leader Ajay Kumar Lallu also criticised Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, arguing that opposition to him was linked to allegations concerning the functioning of the constitutional institution he heads. He said, “Gyanesh Kumar is not just an individual; he is a person occupying a constitutional institution. If he thinks that only Gyanesh Kumar is being opposed, then if a person holding such a post sinks into corruption or theft, his opposition is inevitable. The Congress party and Rahul Gandhi are raising this point: who gave the recognition to break parties, as Uddhav Thackeray’s and Mamata Banerjee’s parties were broken? It was this very Election Commission.”
Lallu further alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal and referred to objections reportedly raised by two Election Commission members over Form 6 procedures. “90 lakh voters were cut in Bengal by this very Election Commission under the SIR, and then added back right as the elections ended. Two members of the Election Commission raised objections on Form 6, saying that changes are being made repeatedly in their own way, no meetings are taking place, and no discussions are being held… So now, the only path left for us is that when Parliament becomes dysfunctional, the streets need to be jammed,” Lallu added.
Rahul Gandhi Calls for March to Supreme Court
Meanwhile, a day after Delhi witnessed detentions of protestors and heavy deployment of police, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi called on the youth, opposition parties, and civil society groups to unite and march to the Supreme Court on Monday, urging people to shed fear with the words “Daro mat.”
“We will march together, with love, brotherhood and patriotism. Daro mat. Tomorrow, all of India will march to the Supreme Court,” Gandhi said in a post on X. He said the march would bring together Indians “united beyond party, gender, caste, community and state. “
Youth, all opposition parties, civil society groups and “all those who believe in democracy and stand by the Constitution of India” would walk with them, he said. Gandhi said a memorandum would be submitted to the Chief Justice Surya Kant on behalf of the nation “demanding an end to vote chori, halting of SIR and the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar.”
CJP Activists Detained During Protest
The protest, called by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), was met with heavy police deployment and mass detentions. CJP activists Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were released earlier after being produced before the Executive Magistrate at Delhi Cantt Police Station, according to CJP Legal Affairs Head Ratna Singh.
CJP Legal Affairs Head Ratna Singh took to X to state, “Condition – no breach of peace for one year.” However. Dipke has claimed he had not signed any bond and would not be deterred by arrest, daring the authorities to jail him “not just once, but a hundred times.” (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)