New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi has asked INDIA bloc parties to be ready to hit the streets within 24 hours as the opposition continues its campaign against the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition made the appeal at a meeting with opposition leaders, student representatives and civil society members at his Delhi residence on Tuesday. The meeting came a day after the bloc held a protest march in the capital against Kumar and the SIR exercise.
Fight Will Go On
Gandhi said the opposition respected the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of India, but its movement would not depend only on the court’s decision, as reported by News 18.
“We have extreme respect for the Supreme Court, for the Chief Justice of India, for the judicial system. They have a role to play; we hope they will play that role. No matter what happens, no matter which institution plays a role or not, political resistance will continue, people’s resistance will continue and it will triumph,” he said.
He also repeated his allegation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Kumar would be held accountable for alleged “vote chori”.
The INDIA bloc alleges that genuine voters were removed during the SIR. It wants Kumar removed and the revision exercise scrapped. The bloc has also filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking an independent panel to examine how the SIR decisions were taken.
Protest Site Dispute
The meeting also discussed the government’s decision to remove Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site. Opposition leaders said they would not accept the move and plan to march to the site in the coming days.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said the decision showed the government’s fear. CPI leader D Raja asked supporters to “reclaim” Jantar Mantar, while the CPI(M) said the move weakened the right to peaceful protest.
Delhi Police have told the High Court that Jantar Mantar was de-notified as a protest site after a Supreme Court order. Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground have been named as alternative sites.
Big Rally Planned
The opposition is considering a large joint rally at Ramlila Maidan in the first week of November. Leaders discussed holding a symbolic “mock Parliament” there, but no final decision has been taken.
They also plan to invite people whose names were allegedly removed from voter lists during SIR to speak at the rally. The opposition will decide its next steps after the Supreme Court hears its petition.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi were among the senior leaders present at the high tea meeting hosted by Rahul Gandhi.
The gathering also brought together RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and Manoj Jha; Samajwadi Party’s Harendra Malik, Anand Bhadauria and Mohibullah Nadvi; Left leaders M A Baby and D Raja; JMM’s Mahua Maji; and TMC’s Mahua Moitra. AISA chief Neha Bora and CPI(ML) leader Dipankar Bhattacharya also attended.
