INDIA bloc’s goal is change, not ruckus: Cong; BJP calls it ‘drama’

As INDIA bloc leaders marched from Parliament to Vijay Chowk, Congress leader Ragini Nayak said the Opposition’s objective was “not merely to create a ruckus” but to bring about change. This comes ahead of the Jantar Mantar protest today (Saturday) against alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) called the Opposition’s call for protest a “drama and charade”.

The political confrontation comes amid the Opposition’s allegations of “vote chori” and its opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The INDIA bloc had submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu on Friday, raising concerns over the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and seeking Kumar’s resignation.

Opposition’s Stand: ‘Goal is to Bring Change’

“The objective of the Congress and opposition parties is to open doors. Our aim is not to create a ruckus; our goal is to bring about a change in the situation,” Nayak told ANI. She said the Opposition had raised the issue through street protests, Parliament and press conferences before approaching constitutional authorities.

“That is why we fought on the streets, raised the issue in Parliament, and presented these matters through press conferences; now, a full opposition delegation is approaching the dignitaries holding constitutional offices. The key point is that the President did not refuse; she asked for evidence, and she will receive that evidence,” she said.

Congress MP Vamsi Krishna Gaddam said the Opposition had been protesting for four days against what he described as “injustice” in the country. “For the last four days, we have been agitating against the injustice that is happening in this country. We wanted to meet the election commissioner, but he is not meeting us. Today, over 300 MPs have come forward to meet the President of the country… 60 crore people have voted for the opposition,” he said.

Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla said Opposition representatives would continue to pressure the Central government until CEC Kumar resigned. “The issue is significant. Opposition representatives will continue to pressure the government until Gyanesh Kumar resigns. The government must pay attention to this,” Aujla said.

Reacting to the security arrangements made in Delhi ahead of the October 10 protest, he alleged that the government was shielding the CEC. “This is precisely their dictatorship. What isn’t the government doing to shield Gyanesh Kumar?” he said.

Allegations of Compromised System and Voter Deletion

Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barq alleged that the electoral system had been compromised and claimed that the names of 13 crore voters were being deleted. “This is an issue concerning the entire country and its people; everyone is facing difficulties. The names of 13 crore voters are being deleted. The system has been compromised. We–the entire Opposition–demand the immediate resignation of the CEC. We will continue to protest until the system is rectified. Another one of our demands is that EVMs be scrapped and elections be conducted using ballot papers,” Barq told ANI.

Samajwadi Party MP Rajiv Rai said the Opposition had submitted a memorandum to the President, alleging that Kumar was acting on the Central Government’s instructions and undermining democracy. “We submitted a memorandum to the President, explaining how Gyanesh Kumar–acting systematically under the Central Government’s orders–is murdering democracy and stealing votes; we have come representing the voice of 60-65% of the country’s population,” Rai said.

He further claimed that concerns were emerging from within the Election Commission, saying two Election Commissioners had written letters 14 times, but their concerns had not been heeded. “The opposition had been raising these issues, but now voices are emerging from within the Election Commission itself. Two Election Commissioners stated that they wrote letters 14 times but were not heeded,” he said.

Rai thanked the President Murmu for hearing the delegation and said she had asked the Opposition to submit evidence. “The President listened to us very patiently, and we thank her for that. She said she would have the matter investigated and asked for evidence to be submitted as soon as possible,” he said.

Protest to Continue Until Demands are Met

Moreover, Odisha Congress president Bhakta Charan Das, speaking in Bhubaneswar, alleged that the controversy surrounding Form 6 and the disregard of Supreme Court directives raised questions about Kumar’s appointment and the electoral process. “The controversy regarding Form 6–involving Supreme Court directives that were disregarded–makes it clear that Gyanesh Kumar’s appointment is based on falsehoods and serves the purpose of stealing votes for the government,” Das said.

He said votes were central to democracy and alleged that the government was engaging in unconstitutional activities. “Ours is a massive democracy where the vote is paramount; governments are formed through votes, and the welfare of the people depends on them. Yet, this government keeps winning by stealing votes…they are engaged in unconstitutional activities and are acting against the Constitution,” he said.

Das added that the entire INDIA bloc had joined Rahul Gandhi’s agitation and that the protest would continue until the CEC resigned and the alleged issue of vote theft was addressed. “The entire nation–and indeed the world–is witnessing the way they are treating the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi…Rahul Gandhi has taken up this agitation, and the entire INDIA bloc has joined in. This protest will continue until Gyanesh Kumar resigns and the issue of vote theft is rectified,” he said.

BJP Dismisses Protest as ‘Drama and Charade’

However, the ruling BJP rejected the Opposition’s allegations and accused its leaders of pursuing a political agenda. Speaking on the scheduled Jantar Mantar protest today, Bihar BJP president Sanjay Saraogi said, “Their political agenda has now surfaced, and it is clearly evident that they are working in tandem with opposition party leaders.”

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi also accused LoP Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi of shifting responsibility for the Congress’ electoral defeats onto the Election Commission and EVMs. “When Rahul Gandhi realises that his leadership is being questioned within the Congress itself–given that nearly 100 elections have been lost under his command–leading to doubts about the party’s future under his guidance, many within the Congress are thinking along these lines. Instead of accepting responsibility for these defeats, he deflects the blame onto the Election Commission or EVMs,” Joshi said.

He said there was no objection to Opposition leaders meeting the President but described the protest as political theatrics. “Amidst this, he is engaging in theatrics; while there is certainly no objection to him meeting the President–as anyone is free to do so–the fundamental issue remains that these losses are not recent occurrences. The party has been losing in Tamil Nadu for over 30 to 50 years and in Bengal since 1977; this pattern of defeat is nothing new,” he said.

Joshi added, “Thus, all of this is merely drama and a charade, while the public stands firmly with PM Modi. The recent elections have delivered a clear mandate, demonstrating the public’s faith in the BJP under PM Modi’s leadership.”

Security Beefed Up in Delhi, Protest Permission Denied

Earlier, the Delhi Police denied permission to the CJP to hold a demonstration at Jantar Mantar, citing a previous breakdown of the law and order situation in the area. Police maintained that no permission had been granted for the proposed protest.

Security was strengthened at Jantar Mantar and other locations across the national capital. Personnel were deployed at strategic points, while vehicle checks were intensified at the Delhi-Haryana and Delhi-Uttar Pradesh borders to prevent any disturbance to law and order situation. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)