Several leaders were detained, while Congress workers attempted to push through the barricades. New Delhi: The INDIA bloc’s march from Parliament to the Election Commission (EC) headquarters in New Delhi turned tense on Tuesday (October 6) as police stopped the protesters from reaching the Nirvachan Sadan.
Even the BJD joined us today beyond the limits of the INDIA alliance,” he said. Earlier reporting noted: RaGa climbs barricade, waves national flag during INDIA bloc protest against Gyanesh Kumar; Priyanka Gandhi detained Protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar entered their fifth day on Tuesday, with the Opposition INDIA bloc marching towards Nirvachan Sadan, the headquarters of the Election Commission of India (ECI). Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other Opposition leaders staged a sit-in at the nearby Akashvani Bhavan after police stopped them from moving ahead. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress leaders and several other Opposition MPs were also detained during the protest. The Opposition is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and action over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. We represent crores of Indians. Why aren’t the election commissioners meeting us? The Opposition leaders had planned to submit a memorandum to the EC. Police barricades stopped them from reaching the office, which is located a short distance from the Akashvani complex where several leaders gathered for the sit-in. “The Election Commission is right next door, but they are not allowing the country’s Leader of the Opposition to go; he has been stopped. So you can see, Rahul Gandhi ji, Priyanka Gandhi ji and all of us are sitting here on a dharna in Akashvani. The confrontation extended beyond the Opposition MPs. Congress workers from the Indian Youth Congress and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) entered the Akashvani Bhavan premises, after which the police ordered them to leave. The workers were later taken out of the premises in buses. The police also detained several Opposition leaders. CPI(M) MPs John Brittas and V Sivadasan were among those taken into custody. Akhilesh Yadav and TMC leaders Derek O’Brien and Abhishek Banerjee were also detained during the protest. Rahul was later seen standing on a barricade during the protest. “We were restrained from moving forward from the very beginning. There was a huge deployment of security personnel, CRPF, RAF and other forces. We tried our level best to move forward. We will intensify the movement. Kumar also claimed that the protest had support beyond the INDIA bloc. “We are all working unitedly, and there is no separate strategy. The protestors are opposing alleged irregularities in the functioning and decisions of the poll panel, particularly those linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, described as a drive to clean up voter lists. Behind him, a large crowd raised slogans against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, demanding his resignation. He then climbed onto one of the barricades and waved a large national flag, drawing loud cheers and slogans from leaders and workers of the Opposition INDIA bloc.
“More than 300 Opposition MPs marched from Parliament to the Election Commission today to meet election commissioners. The Election Commission is hardly 100 meters from here,” he said. A police official told the gathering that prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNS) were in force and warned that those who did not leave could be detained.
Why is the police stopping and threatening us?” he said. CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar said security forces had been deployed in large numbers. Detention is not the solution, only resignation is,” he said.
The march began at Parliament’s Makar Dwar before the police stopped the MPs on the route to the poll panel’s office. Earlier, some MPs climbed police barricades as they tried to move towards the Nirvachan Sadan. Earlier reporting noted: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi made his way through a large gathering of protesters this morning as he headed towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters. Earlier reporting noted: Gandhi was stopped by multiple layers of police barricades along the route.
Opposition targets SIR, Gyanesh Kumar
“It is not just the INDIA alliance, sensible voters across the country are united today. Rahul questioned the EC over its refusal to meet the Opposition delegation. He also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, “The Leader of the Opposition wants to go there and submit his memorandum. But he is being stopped. Everyone is being stopped very ruthlessly. This is the condition of this country’s democracy in the national capital. We understand that Narendra Modi is scared. He should be. Given the kind of misdeeds they have committed, they should be afraid. Fear is justified. Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa accused the government of allowing irregularities in the electoral process and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “We should demand the resignation of the prime minister and the home minister, at whose behest these wrongdoings are taking place. If the decision within the Election Commission is to be taken by just one person, then why were two other individuals appointed? This is a crucial fight to save democracy and protect the Constitution,” he claimed. “We are protesting in a democratic manner, and we will also stage protests at the district level. The Opposition has used the top court proceedings as part of its case against the poll panel and has planned further protests in the weeks ahead.
The protest followed Monday’s Supreme Court hearing on the SIR-related Form 6 dispute. The EC has said the statutory Form 6 was not changed, with the additional declaration being presented as a separate requirement. The programme includes district-level activity and a large rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on November 1.
Congress leader Pawan Khera criticised the police deployment and said the Opposition was being prevented from reaching the poll panel. The system should be scrapped,” he said. RJD MP Sudhakar Singh said that the protest was about the functioning of democratic institutions. SP MP Rajeev Kumar Rai said, “The people of the nation have come forward against the Election Commission of India. Congress leader Sukhdeo Bhagat said the Opposition would take the protest beyond Delhi. In a democracy, the people are supreme, and the public has now realised that this government was formed by stealing the mandate,” he said. The court said it had not approved the modifications being discussed and decided to examine the Election Commission’s records.
