New Delhi [India], October 6 (ANI): Congress leader Supriya Shrinate on Tuesday launched a scathing critique of institutional conduct and heavy-handed policing, alleging that the right to vote is being attacked following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) row.
Weighing in on the demonstrations, Shrinate condemned what she described as an attack on fundamental electoral rights and alleged that, instead of protecting the people of this country, Delhi Police turns into a predator.
“The right to vote is the most crucial right, and it has been attacked… The Delhi Police’s job is to protect the people of this country… Instead, the Delhi Police turns into a predator. The person whose name is surfacing is given a promotion, which has now been stayed,” Supriya Shrinate told ANI.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan accused the ruling party of putting allegations and said, “BJP’s job is to make allegations. They are in power, so they will do that. We are doing our work… We will act according to whatever instructions our party leadership gives us…”
Bachchan further emphasised that we offer prayers so God can protect us, but God doesn’t support wrongdoing.
“Ganesh ji doesn’t help in wrong things. We begin prayers with offering prayers to Ganesh; He will protect us,” Jaya Bachchan added.
The remarks come amid the Opposition’s sustained campaign against alleged discrepancies in electoral rolls and its demand for greater transparency from the poll panel.
On Tuesday, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi took a jibe at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, saying, “Gyanesh, it’s done, bro. Time to resign,” as the Opposition INDIA bloc began its protest march towards the Election Commission in the national capital.
In a post on X, Gandhi wrote, “Gyanesh, it’s done, bro. Time to resign.”
The opposition INDIA bloc hit the streets of the national capital as their protest march towards the Election Commission began.
The opposition INDIA bloc kicked off its protest march towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters in the national capital, with Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav asserting that demonstrators would “do whatever is required” to reach Nirvachan Sadan despite heavy security barricades.
“The BJP should feel ashamed saying this; they have no right to speak on it. They removed the Chief Justice of India from the appointment panel of the Election Commission and included a minister from their own cabinet. With what credibility does the BJP speak after expelling 150 Members of Parliament to pass laws?” Yadav told ANI.
Meanwhile, the demonstration marks an escalation in the opposition’s campaign demanding the immediate cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner, with Congress MP Dr Dharamveer Gandhi terming the alleged deletion of voters from electoral rolls the “biggest fraud in Indian political history.”
Speaking to ANI, Congress MP Dharamveer Gandhi accused the government of undermining democratic principles in coordination with the poll panel’s leadership.
“Thirteen crore votes have been deleted, and those people have been deprived of their democratic right to vote. This is the biggest fraud in Indian political history, committed by the current government against the people of India with the cooperation of Gyanesh Kumar. We are going to fight to restore democracy and preserve the dignity of democratic institutions,” Gandhi said.
Rejecting the BJP’s counter-allegation that the opposition is attempting to compromise constitutional bodies, Gandhi added, “They are the ones hijacking them. Who asked them to remove the Chief Justice of India from the panel for selecting Election Commissioners and the CEC? The BJP removed them. Investigating agencies, media, and institutions—they have extended their influence to turn them into their pocket organisations.”
Weighing in on the opposition’s demands, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain demanded a high-level inquiry to investigate alleged political interference in the election machinery.
“The main demands are crystal clear. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar must go; he should resign. The SIR (Special Intensive Revision) should be scrapped. All the voters who have been removed or deleted under SIR must be restored back onto the voter list,” Hussain told ANI.
Leaders of several INDIA bloc parties will participate in the march and raise their concerns before the Election Commission (EC). The protest is part of a broader “Save Democracy” campaign announced by the Opposition, under which its leaders have been holding demonstrations and public programmes against the EC.
The march to Nirvachan Sadan is expected to further intensify the political confrontation between the Opposition and the poll panel over electoral roll-related issues. (ANI)
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