New Delhi [India], October 5 (ANI): Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Monday said that MPs of all Opposition parties will march peacefully from Parliament House to the Election Commission on Tuesday (October 11) as part of the INDIA bloc’s planned programmes over the issue of alleged vote theft and the demand for removal of the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Ramesh said a meeting of all Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) presidents and in-charges was held for two hours in the presence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
He said Opposition MPs have been asked to assemble at Makar Dwar at 10.30 AM ahead of the march.
He said, “Today a meeting of all PCC presidents and in-charges was held for two hours. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi were also present. Tomorrow at 11 AM, MPs of all opposition parties will march peacefully from Parliament House to the Election Commission. Everyone has been given the time of 10.30 AM to assemble at Makar Dwar. This march will be carried out in a peaceful manner. Till 8th October, all INDIA alliance parties will organise pad-yatras at the district level. There will be demonstrations; there will be meetings.”
Ramesh further outlined the Opposition’s planned programmes at the block, state and district levels, saying the campaign would focus on the alleged issue of vote theft and gathering information about voters whose names are not on electoral rolls.
“Regarding the issue of vote theft and the demand for removal of the CEC. From 10th October to 20th October, there will be meetings at the block level. From 25th October to 25th November, ‘Save votes, save the country’ rallies will be organised at the state level, district level, and Chaupals in every village, and the objective in this month will be to get information about the 13.5 crore voters whose names are not in the voter list,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday made it clear that it had not approved any modified version of Form 6, used for enrolling new voters during SIR.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said, “Any modified Form 6 has not been approved by us. Let’s be clear. When the record is produced, we would like to see who has modified.”
The Supreme Court also refused to pass an ex-parte interim order seeking suspension of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and issued notices to the Centre, ECI, Kumar and other officials.
The petition before the court alleges that 14 crucial SIR-related decisions were taken in the name of the Election Commission despite objections allegedly recorded by the other two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
The plea also raises questions over the alteration of Form 6 and alleged changes to electoral-roll systems without the participation or approval of the other Commissioners.
The court said it would first examine the allegations after receiving responses from the respondents. CJI Kant further observed that if any violation of the statutory framework was established, the court could undo the decision. (ANI)
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