Satyagraha for SIR injustice draws FIR: Congress on case against Rahul, Priyanka

Congress on Wednesday criticised the Delhi Police FIR against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and others following their protest at Akashvani Bhawan against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh accused the government and Election Commission of targeting Rahul Gandhi for raising what the party has termed a “vote chori conspiracy”. In a post on X, Ramesh said Gandhi had been “relentlessly exposing” the alleged conspiracy and described the SIR exercise as a process through which genuine voters were being denied their constitutional right to vote.

Ramesh said that when Rahul Gandhi adopted the method of “Satyagraha” to highlight what Congress considers injustices arising from SIR, the Delhi Police registered an FIR against him and other leaders.

“The diabolical duo is nervous, rattled and desperate. The writing on the wall is clear,” Ramesh said, referring to his allegations against the government.

The FIR followed Tuesday’s INDIA bloc march from Parliament towards the Election Commission headquarters. The protesters were stopped near Akashvani Bhawan, following which Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other Opposition leaders entered the premises and staged a sit-in.

Delhi Police said the case was registered following a complaint alleging that the leaders and their supporters entered the Akashvani Bhawan premises without permission. The protesters were subsequently detained after remaining there for several hours and were later released.

The Opposition leaders were demanding action over the electoral-roll revision exercise and seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Election Commission has maintained that it had not received a request from any political party for a meeting during the protest.

The FIR adds a legal dimension to the escalating political confrontation between the Opposition and the government over SIR and the functioning of the Election Commission.