Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced a series of protests against the Election Commission and alleged threats to democratic institutions, saying opposition parties would work together in a coordinated manner.
Kharge said discussions continued for nearly three-and-a-half hours, with leaders from at least 20 parties sharing their views and agreeing to fight together.
“Discussions continued for around three-and-a-half hours. Many leaders expressed their views. Uddhav Thackeray ji and Hemant Soren ji also shared their views. Everyone has decided to fight together in a united manner,” Kharge said after the INDIA bloc coordination meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday,
Kharge alleged that institutions were being weakened and accused the Election Commission of being influenced by the government. He alleged that elections were being won through unfair means and claimed that democratic functioning of opposition parties was being disrupted.
‘Save Democracy March’
The Congress president announced a nationwide protest programme, saying that INDIA bloc leaders would hold a “Save Democracy March” at the district level from October 2 to October 8. He further said that opposition MPs would march to the Election Commission on October 6, while opposition leaders would meet President Droupadi Murmu in the second week of October to raise concerns over alleged institutional issues.
The annoucement comes days after The Indian Express reported that commissoners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least
14 occasions of the poll panel over a 10-month period to decisions and orders, some of which they said were issued without their knowledge.
Members of the INDIA bloc will stage protests at DM offices from October 2 to October 8, and on October 6, all opposition MPs will march to the Election Commission. Opposition leaders will seek an appointment with the President in the second week of October to apprise her of the manner in which institutions are being taken over. Five major rallies will be held in Oct-Nov, and the venues and dates will be finalised soon. A major rally will be organised in Delhi on November 1 because everyone now acknowledges what Rahul ji and Didi used to say on ‘vote chori
Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while addressing the press conference, said that the opposition would continue to protest till Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resigns. She also demanded PM Modi’s resignation.
“It is publicly known that Gyanesh Kumar is a thief, a dacoit. He has hijacked the EVMs. Our demand is that if Gyanesh Kumar does not resign, this protest will continue for a long time. The Prime Minister must resign immediately. We will save democracy. We want your support, students, youth and journalists,”Banerjee said.
Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said that leaders of the INDIA bloc were committed to ensuring action against those responsible for what he described as the destruction of democracy.
“It is the personal commitment of all INDIA leaders that we are going to ensure that the people who have destroyed Indian democracy are punished. It doesn’t matter how senior they are, who they are; Indian democracy is bigger than every single person in this country. There was also a feeling in the room that the opposition has been quite successful in putting a cross to the people of India that elections are stolen, that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have destroyed democracy, and there is a new sense of resistance, particularly among young people, that what is going on in India is wrong and needs to be stopped,” he said.
It is the personal commitment of all INDIA leaders that we are going to ensure that the people who have destroyed Indian democracy are punished.
With the opposition unrelenting on the issue the stage is set for a bitter political fight especially with 5 states going to the polls in 2027.
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