Opposition MPs from the INDIA bloc continued their protest against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls on Thursday, October 8, heading towards Raj Ghat on the third day of demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The ‘INDIA’ bloc leaders headed towards Gandhi Smriti following a planned luncheon at Moets in Connaught Place in New Delhi, where leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi were joined by TMC MPs like Mahua Moitra, Abhishek Banerjee. Further, Telengana CM Revanth Reddy also remained an integral part of the afternoon gathering to give out the message of unity as protests were set to resume.
The protests have intensified amid allegations of irregularities in the voter-list revision process and concerns that eligible voters may have been excluded from electoral rolls. The Election Commission has maintained that the exercise is intended to remove duplicate, deceased and otherwise ineligible entries, while critics have questioned its implementation and impact on voters.
The INDIA bloc’s demonstrations have also seen confrontations with police and the detention of opposition leaders in Delhi. The protests began with attempts to march to the Election Commission’s headquarters and continued with plans to gather at designated protest locations.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi were among the key figures involved in the ongoing agitation. Gandhi has vowed to continue the protests until Kumar resigns, declaring, “We are not going to stop protesting till Gyanesh Kumar resigns.”
The Opposition has accused the Election Commission of failing to adequately address concerns surrounding the SIR exercise. Gandhi has also questioned why a large delegation of elected representatives was prevented from meeting the poll panel, asking, “If 300 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs cannot meet the Chief Election Commissioner, what is the meaning of democracy?”
The Election Commission and the BJP have rejected allegations of politically motivated manipulation, maintaining that the revision is intended to improve the accuracy of electoral rolls. The controversy has become a major political flashpoint, with the Opposition pledging to sustain its campaign for accountability and electoral transparency.
The planned visit to Raj Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, formed part of the Opposition’s third day of protests. However, the Delhi Police imposed restrictions on gatherings at the memorial, adding another hurdle to the planned demonstration.
This is a developing story. More details to be added soon.
