Regarding the allegation of “vote theft,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi have separately written to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, requesting time to meet and speak with him on Monday (Oct. 12).
Opposition parties have been accusing Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of engaging in electoral malpractice in favor of the BJP through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list.
The opposition has been staging a series of protests, insisting that Gyanesh Kumar should resign immediately and that an independent inquiry should be conducted into all the decisions he has taken.
Last Friday, leaders of the INDIA alliance met President Droupadi Murmu and raised the allegation of “vote theft.” They also expressed their concerns regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls.
In this context, Kharge has shared on X a video of the interview he gave to reporters in Bengaluru. He said:
Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have caused widespread chaos across the country. An undeclared emergency has been imposed in all regions. The deployment of police forces and preventive detention measures in the protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar reveal the central government's fear.
We have decided to meet the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and convey our concerns regarding the issue of “vote theft,” irregularities in the Election Commission, police repression against protesters, and the suppression of democratic rights. Rahul and I have written to him requesting an appointment between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday. We will appeal to him with folded hands to intervene in the “vote theft” issue.
Central government in fear: Traffic has been blocked on Delhi roads, communications have been shut down, and 32,000 security personnel have been deployed. The central government is frightened by the protest being carried out by young people to protect democracy and the right to vote.
Two commissioners have publicly exposed how the Election Commission functions and what kinds of irregularities are taking place. Even so, the government has taken no action. It is Prime Minister Modi and the Union government’s wish that vote theft continue. That is why they have given the Chief Election Commissioner legal special protection. The INDIA alliance will continue to fight to protect the people’s constitutional rights and democracy, he said.
‘March to the Supreme Court today’
A march will be held on Monday toward the Supreme Court, demanding that “vote theft” be prevented; opposition parties, civil society organizations, and youth organizations will take part in it, Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi announced on Sunday.
It is noteworthy that earlier, Rahul, Priyanka, and others who had staged sudden sit-in and blockade protests in Delhi last week, demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, were arrested and later released.
