New Delhi [India], October 9 (ANI): As INDIA bloc members are set to meet President Droupadi Murmu on Friday, CPI(M) MP John Brittas said the Opposition’s agitation would continue despite the scheduled meeting, asserting that the alliance would not relent until Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resigned.
Speaking to ANI, Brittas said, “We will meet with the President; our delegation will go, but that doesn’t deter us from our agitation or protest,” referring to the opposition’s demand for action over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
He said the opposition had received partial relief from the Supreme Court and urged the government to heed its observations on the right to association and the right to protest as fundamental rights.
Brittas reiterated that the Opposition would continue its agitation until its demand for Kumar’s resignation was met.
He added, “We have got partial relief from the Supreme Court and hope that the government will give heed to the sound counsel from the part of the Supreme Court that the right to association and the right to protest are part of the fundamental rights, and we will not budge without achieving our goal of the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar.”
Meanwhile, Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy said the President had granted an appointment at 8 pm to a limited number of opposition members.
“We will discuss our further actions here, and we will go along with the members who have got the appointment to go to the President,” he said, adding that the opposition’s campaign would continue until a decision was taken on Kumar’s resignation and prosecution.
Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi said the INDIA bloc intended to urge the President to intervene in the alleged “vote theft” issue, claiming that opposition MPs, including Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, had been mistreated in recent days.
He said, “For the past several months, we have been waging a battle against vote theft under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, and this struggle has spread across the country. Over the last few days, MPs have been detained and subjected to mistreatment. Rahul Gandhi—the Leader of the Opposition—was mistreated… In this context, as part of this democratic ‘Satyagraha’, we have sought an appointment with the President. Today, the entire INDIA bloc and all opposition MPs are gathering again under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. We intend to urge the President—as the First Citizen of the country—to liberate the nation from those who steal votes; for snatching away votes—stripping away the right to vote—is a matter even more critical than the violation of fundamental rights.”
Congress MP Syed Nasir Hussain stated that the opposition MPs wanted to submit reports to the President on alleged irregularities during the SIR process in their respective constituencies and states. He said permission had been granted for only 10 representatives to meet the President, but the opposition would seek an opportunity for all MPs to present their concerns.
“All of us MPs want to go and meet the President; all 300 MPs from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha want to go and meet [the Election Commissioners], but neither the Election Commission nor the President grants a meeting. Permission has been granted by the President for only 10 people. We will make an effort for all MPs to meet the President. Every MP wishes to submit a report to the President regarding the situation in their constituency and state, and the irregularities that occurred during the SIR process. We request the President to hear out all the MPs, said Hussain.”
The proposed meeting comes amid the opposition’s concerns regarding the functioning of the Election Commission and its ongoing agitation over the issue.
On Thursday, INDIA bloc members visited Raj Ghat, as protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar entered their third consecutive day in the national capital.
Opposition leaders have been demanding his resignation, alleging irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls. The Election Commission and BJP have rejected the Opposition’s allegations. (ANI)
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