Rahul Gandhi, along with 300 Opp MPs, to march from parliament to Election Commission today; know key details
Members of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, led by Rahul Gandhi, are to march to the Election Commission to protest alleged “vote theft’ linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Here is all you need to know:
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is all set to lead a march of around 300 MPs from the parliament to the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters in New Delhi on Monday. The move is to protest alleged electoral malpractices linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The march is scheduled to begin at 11:30 am from Parliament House, to pressure the ECI into taking transparent action and ensuring the integrity of voter lists.Â
Why is the INDIA bloc marching from Parliament to the Election Commission?
The members of the INDIA bloc have sought a meeting with the EC to address their concerns. However, the Delhi Police said that no permission has been granted for the proposed march by the INDIA Bloc on Monday. Amid this, the Election Commission of India Secretariat has reportedly written to Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, granting an appointment for an interaction at 12:00 PM today.Â
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will host a dinner meeting for the INDIA bloc MPs later on Monday.
The INDIA bloc has accused the ruling BJP government of attempting to manipulate voter rolls in its favour, undermining the democratic process. The opposition has also launched an online campaign, allowing citizens to register their demands for electoral transparency on the “Vote Chori” website to mobilise public support. However, the ECI has dismissed the opposition’s claims as baseless, affirming its commitment to fair elections. However, the INDIA bloc remains resolute in its demands for electoral reform.
Rahul Gandhi urged citizens to protest ‘Vote Chori’
Rahul Gandhi has urged people to join the cause, emphasising the need to protect democracy. He shared a post on his X handle, urging citizens to register on a newly launched web portal — votechori.in/ecdemand, or give a missed call to 9650003420 to support the cause. “Vote Chori is an attack on the foundational idea of ‘one man, one vote’. A clean voter roll is imperative for free and fair elections. Our demand from the EC is clear – be transparent and release digital voter rolls so that people and parties can audit them,” Rahul Gandhi wrote on X”. “This fight is to protect our democracy,” he added.
In a related development, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka has written to Rahul Gandhi, seeking evidence to back his claim that a voter had cast her ballot twice during the previous Lok Sabha elections.
(With inputs from IANS)
