Govt protecting Gyanesh Kumar, turning Delhi into a prison: Rahul Gandhi

The Leader of Opposition said INDIA bloc leaders would approach the Supreme Court over alleged vote theft and demand action against the Chief Election Commissioner

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the government of protecting Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and questioned why people were being prevented from reaching protest sites in Delhi. He called the heavy police deployment a "mistake" by the government, saying it would show people that the Centre was shielding the CEC.

 

Speaking at a press conference at Indira Bhawan in New Delhi ahead of the INDIA bloc's planned march to the Supreme Court, Gandhi said the Opposition would file a petition against CEC Kumar over alleged irregularities in the electoral process, which it has described as "vote chori".

 

 

"Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and I wrote to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, expressing our grave concern about the murder of Indian democracy and election fairness. CJI responded to us and instructed us to file a petition," he said.

 

He added that INDIA bloc leaders will go to the Supreme Court on Monday at 3 pm.

 

The Opposition's march is scheduled to begin at 1.30 pm from the Connaught Place-Barakhamba Road junction and proceed to the Supreme Court, covering around 2 km. The parties are demanding a halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Kumar's resignation.

 

Earlier, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant declined the Congress's request to meet opposition leaders and receive their memorandum. The court is expected to take up a petition on the issue alongside pending matters if it is filed. 

'Why is Delhi jailed?'

 

Questioning the restrictions imposed in the national capital, Rahul Gandhi said a public movement against alleged vote theft and the Election Commission under Gyanesh Kumar had been gathering momentum over the past few days.

 

"'Chalo Dilli', March for Democracy against vote theft and the Election Commission under Gyanesh Kumar has been a public movement in Delhi for the past 3-4 days. Resistance has been there for much longer, for 12 or 13 years, but now it is crystallising. The question is: Why is Delhi jailed?" he asked. 

 

"A protest against the theft of votes has been underway in Delhi for several days; the question is, why has Delhi been turned into a prison? People are being prevented from entering the city -- stopped on trains and buses -- and Delhi has been transformed into a fortress," he added.

 

Rahul Gandhi said the government was making a mistake by deploying a large number of police personnel. He said the Opposition wanted people to see that the government was protecting Kumar.

 

"We want 20,000 to 30,000 police personnel deployed on the streets. The government is committing a grave mistake, because we want to show the country that PM Modi wants to ensure the security of Gyanesh Kumar... The more he is protected, the more we will ultimately reach his controller."

 

He also claimed that 50 per cent of police personnel were unhappy with the government's actions.

 

'We will not back down'

 

He said the Opposition would continue to raise questions about Kumar and alleged irregularities in the electoral process.

 

"This is happening because we are raising the very same question that the two Election Commissioners had asked: why isn't Gyanesh Kumar resigning? Gyanesh Kumar, you have lost your sleep; we will not spare you... We know about your past and your corruption, and we are waiting..."

 

"We will not back down, we are standing with the truth," he said, adding that the youth of the country will not stop till Constitution is upheld.

 

Opposition march amid heightened security

 

The Opposition's planned march comes amid heightened security in Delhi following protests over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise. Police detained thousands of people over the weekend as they prevented protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar.

 

Gandhi has urged students, civil society organisations, Opposition parties and citizens to join the march, demanding an end to "vote chori", a halt to the SIR exercise and Kumar's resignation.

 

Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has said it will continue its protest against Kumar over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.

 

On Sunday, CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were released after being detained a day earlier, following their arrival in Delhi by flight. They were released on the condition that they would not "breach peace" for one year. Dipke, however, claimed on social media that he had not signed any such condition.

 

With security tightened across the capital, Metro station closures and traffic diversions have also been announced for Monday.