New Delhi: The INDIA bloc will scale up its protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi on Thursday, with Opposition parties expecting a larger presence of MPs after Wednesday’s police action near Jantar Mantar.
The decision was arrived at during talks among alliance partners on Wednesday. Leaders indicated that more parliamentarians from different constituents would participate in the day’s demonstration.
Security was reinforced around the Sansad Marg roundabout in central Delhi on Thursday morning as Opposition MPs began assembling. The Congress has separately called for nationwide demonstrations on October 8, describing the day as a “Black Day for Indian Democracy” in protest against the police action and the continuing standoff with the Election Commission., as reported by Business Standard.
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal has instructed party units at the state, district and block levels to organise protests. The Congress has tied the mobilisation to its demand for Kumar’s resignation and its call for greater openness in the electoral-roll revision process.
Security Bolstered In Capital
Meanwhile, around 11,000 additional Central Armed Police Forces personnel are being brought into the Capital over the coming days, ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party’s proposed “Delhi Chalo” demonstration on October 10.
With the reinforcement, the number of central force personnel in Delhi is expected to reach nearly 26,000.
Hindustan Times reported that the Union Home Ministry cleared the deployment of 110 additional CAPF companies from October 8 to 12; the forces will supplement the 15,000 personnel already stationed in the city across 111 companies.
Delhi Police has also tightened preventive arrangements. Station house officers have been asked to keep track of people with criminal backgrounds, monitor buses heading towards the New Delhi district, and reach out to educational institutions and paying-guest accommodation owners to discourage students from taking part in the demonstrations.
Opposition Seeks President Meet
On Wednesday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hosted a luncheon meeting to coordinate the Opposition’s strategy. During the discussions, INDIA bloc parties also explored the possibility of meeting President Droupadi Murmu. Wile a 15-member delegation was sought, clearance was reportedly given for a 10-member group. Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is expected to be part of it.
Following the meeting, the parties arranged three air-conditioned buses to transport MPs to Jantar Mantar, with representation ensured from across the alliance. The vehicles were stopped on Ashoka Road near the Shangri-La hotel, roughly two kilometres from the protest site.
Several leaders stepped out after seeing protesters on the ground. They sat in demonstration and raised slogans seeking Kumar’s resignation, after which a number of Opposition leaders were detained.
SIR Row Fuels Stir
The latest mobilisation followed Tuesday’s protest, when Opposition MPs marched from Parliament towards the Election Commission headquarters and later held an approximately eight-hour sit-in at Akashvani Bhawan after being stopped by police. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other leaders were detained once the protest concluded.
The INDIA bloc has alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and claimed that the exercise could remove genuine voters from the lists. The parties have demanded greater transparency from the Election Commission and a return to ballot papers in place of electronic voting machines.
The protests followed a September 25 report in The Indian Express alleging irregularities in the SIR process and differences among election commissioners over certain decisions. The Election Commission has defended its procedures, while the BJP has dismissed the Opposition’s allegations.
