New Delhi [India], October 27 (ANI): All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing the central government of pressuring the Delhi Police to disrupt the opposition’s planned “public impeachment” protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls
Venugopal revealed that despite securing official venue approval for Delhi’s iconic Ramlila Maidan from October 25 to November 3, police intervention halted ground preparation work over the weekend.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Venugopal asserted that the sudden police action was not an independent administrative call but a directive straight from the top levels of the Union Government.
“We don’t know how scared PM Modi and Amit Shah are, even for a minimal gathering. We announced the public impeachment of Gyanesh Kumar. We planned a march on November 1st… We have booked Ramlila Maidan from October 25th to November 3rd. They have already granted us permission from October 25th to November 3rd. We decided to conduct the public impeachment here. The day before yesterday, our people came to construct the infrastructure. The police stopped them. We don’t know what the reason is… That means it is not the Delhi police’s decision. It is the decision of PM Modi and Amit Shah. They are protecting Gyanesh Kumar…,” he said.
Venugopal drew a direct parallel between the administrative blocking of the protest venue and the ongoing political row surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He accused the government of undermining democratic institutions on multiple fronts.
The Congress leader charged that while genuine citizens are being systematically removed from voter lists under the current ECI administration, the state is simultaneously clamping down on democratic protest rights.
Vowing that the opposition INDIA bloc will not bow to executive intimidation, Venugopal affirmed: “But we are not going to succumb to their pressures. We know how to conduct the program… On one side, they are completely removing the genuine voters from the voter list. On the other side, those who are protesting for retaining the democratic right; the government is also trying to stop it…”
Emphasising that the protest will move forward regardless of police restrictions, he noted: “We can do the protest anywhere… There are so many places in Delhi. How can the Delhi police stop us?… Our ultimate aim is very clear. Until Gyanesh Kumar is removed from that position and purifies the election system of this country, we will not sit.”
The INDIA bloc opposition alliance has escalated its agitation demanding the immediate resignation or removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged poll irregularities and voter deletion concerns linked to electoral roll revisions.
The opposition planned a mock parliamentary “public impeachment” proceeding against the CEC. The event is scheduled to culminate in a massive Dilli Chalo march and public gathering at Ramlila Maidan on November 1.
Despite police hurdles at Ramlila Maidan, Congress and its alliance partners maintain that the agitation will press ahead across the national capital until systemic accountability is established within the Election Commission of India. (ANI)
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