Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the Centre of protecting Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the government’s handling of protests over electoral rolls was exposing its concerns about the opposition’s campaign.
Addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi, Gandhi spoke ahead of a planned INDIA bloc march towards the Supreme Court against the Election Commission of India (ECI) and demanding Kumar’s resignation over the controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Gandhi questioned the extensive security arrangements and restrictions imposed in the national capital ahead of the opposition demonstration. He claimed that people were being prevented from reaching Delhi and alleged that train and bus passengers were being stopped or asked to get off.
Describing Delhi as having been turned into a “fortress”, he estimated that between 20,000 and 30,000 police personnel had been deployed across the city.
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Gandhi argued that the security deployment would strengthen the opposition’s message that the government was protecting the CEC. He said the opposition wanted the Centre to continue defending Kumar, claiming this would eventually help it reach those he described as the official’s “controllers”.
The Congress leader also alleged that police and paramilitary personnel were questioning the instructions they had received to stop young protesters. He accused the authorities of treating opposition supporters differently from members of the RSS and BJP, while alleging that women and young people had been subjected to violence. These claims were not independently established in his remarks.
Gandhi further claimed that some police personnel supported the opposition’s campaign and said the protest movement against alleged electoral irregularities was gaining momentum.
Questioning why Kumar had not resigned, Gandhi alleged that the CEC was under pressure over the controversy. He also claimed that the opposition possessed information and evidence concerning Kumar’s past conduct and alleged corruption, without providing details during the press conference.
The INDIA bloc’s planned march comes amid escalating opposition criticism of the Election Commission over the SIR exercise and demands for accountability in the electoral process.
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