INDIA bloc leaders march to the Election Commission office

New Delhi : Opposition parties have launched a campaign against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the voter list. Opposition leaders are marching to the Election Commission office demanding his resignation. Meanwhile, Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi staged a sit-in protest; shortly thereafter, the police detained them and took them away in a van. Security has been stepped up in key areas of central Delhi in view of the protests.

Leaders from opposition parties are demanding the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over controversial changes made to the voter list. Security personnel stopped the INDIA bloc’s march which was heading towards the Election Commission in front of the NITI Aayog office. During the event, the MPs raised slogans against Gyanesh Kumar.

The opposition’s march towards the Election Commission headquarters was halted by police barricades. It was at this spot that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi sat down in protest. Later, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also arrived at the location. The MPs raised slogans against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, including chants calling him a “vote thief.”

Congress MP Pawan Khera said, “We never trusted Gyanesh Kumar, but now we are convinced that he is not a trustworthy person.”

Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav said, “There is nothing more important than this. If people’s votes are deleted if power is seized by deleting votes on a massive scale, as happened in Bengal then what meaning does democracy hold ? If there is no protest against this, then all other protests become meaningless.” Congress MP Vivek Tankha said, “This is a fight to save democracy. The entire country is out on the streets because the manner in which the Election Commission is functioning as a puppet of the government is unacceptable.”

SP MP Iqra Hasan stated, “A report clearly indicates that on 14 occasions, no decision could be reached through consensus. The opposition has been saying from day one that Gyanesh Kumar is acting like a BJP agent.”

During the INDIA bloc’s march, opposition MPs carried cutouts of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar depicted in the RSS uniform. A large number of Delhi Police personnel have been deployed at Jantar Mantar and the surrounding areas.

Barricades have also been set up outside the Election Commission office and at various nearby locations. To prevent any untoward incidents or law-and-order issues, the police are monitoring the movement of people and vehicles. Security forces have been instructed to remain fully prepared to handle any situation.