Rahul Gandhi accused the Centre of protecting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar ahead of an INDIA bloc march towards the Supreme Court. He also questioned the security restrictions in Delhi and alleged that the Election Commission had facilitated vote theft…reports Asian Lite News Desk
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the Centre of protecting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, as opposition parties prepared to march towards the Supreme Court in protest against the Election Commission of India (ECI) and demand the CEC’s resignation.
Addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha said protests against Kumar and alleged electoral malpractice had continued in the capital for several days.
“The protest against Gyanesh Kumar, the Election Commission and vote theft has been underway in Delhi for the past four to five days. Resistance has existed for 10–12–13 years, but now it is crystallising,” Gandhi said.
The proposed INDIA bloc march comes amid controversy over the Special Intensive Review (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have raised concerns over the exercise and called for Kumar to step down.
Gandhi also questioned the security restrictions imposed in Delhi ahead of the planned demonstration, alleging that people were being prevented from travelling to the capital.
“The question is, why is Delhi, the capital city of India, under siege? People are being stopped from reaching Delhi. Trains and buses are being stopped, and people are being asked to get off. Delhi has been turned into a fortress, with police deployed everywhere, around 20,000 to 30,000 personnel,” he said.
He argued that the security deployment would help the opposition highlight its allegations against the government.
“You might think this is a show of power, but our strategy is different. We want 20,000 to 30,000 police personnel standing on the streets. And the government is making a big mistake by doing this. We want to show the nation that the government, Narendra Modi, is protecting Gyanesh Kumar. We want them (the government) to protect him (CEC), because then we will ultimately reach his controller,” Gandhi added.
The Congress leader claimed that police personnel were themselves troubled by the orders they had been given to manage the protests. He also alleged that questions were being raised within the Home Ministry, Delhi Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) about the handling of demonstrators.
“Questions are being raised within the Home Ministry, Delhi Police, CRPF and ITBP about why they are being asked to stop young people, while RSS members are being allowed to move around freely. BJP and RSS goons are beating women. On the one hand, the police are being told to beat patriotic Indian youth and fire pellet guns at them, while on the other hand, they are being told to let these RSS youths, whom he describes as criminals and gangsters, go free and allow them to beat other young people,” he said.
Gandhi further claimed that some police personnel had expressed support for the opposition’s campaign.
“This is benefiting us a lot. I can tell you with happiness that 50 per cent of the police personnel are telling us, ‘What you are doing is right; keep going’,” he said.
He alleged that opposition parties and sections of the public were united against the government and the Election Commission over what he described as electoral malpractice.
“The police, ITBP, CRPF, the people of India, all of you and all opposition parties are on one side while Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Ajit Doval, Gyanesh Kumar and four or five people in the Election Commission, who are facilitating vote theft and have hijacked India, are on the other side. We are continuing to widen this divide,” Gandhi added.
Questioning why Kumar had not resigned, Gandhi said the opposition would continue its campaign against the CEC.
“The CEC is not able to sleep at night. But don’t worry, we are not going to let you be. You will not survive as the CEC,” he said.
Gandhi claimed that public scrutiny of Kumar’s conduct would continue and alleged that the opposition had evidence relating to his past and corruption. He did not provide details of the evidence during the press conference.
“The entire situation is unfolding now, with lakhs of people questioning your conduct and behaviour, will not stop. Why will it not stop? Because there are people ahead of you, and to reach them, we have to remove you. So, don’t worry. We have information about you. We know your past. We understand all your corruption, and we have evidence,” he added.
The INDIA bloc’s planned march is intended to intensify pressure on the Election Commission over the electoral roll review and the opposition’s demand for Kumar’s resignation.
