Rahul Gandhi invites INDIA bloc leaders for high tea as anti-CEC protest gathers pace
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New Delhi: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has invited INDIA bloc MPs, civil society members and student organisations for a high tea at his residence on Tuesday, a day after Opposition leaders marched in the national capital and submitted a joint petition against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged electoral irregularities.
A joint press conference by INDIA bloc leaders is also scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, followed by tea at Gandhi's residence at 5, Sunehri Bagh Road, New Delhi, at 4 pm.
"Following today's March for Democracy and the submission of the petition ... a joint press conference of INDIA leaders will be held tomorrow afternoon, followed by tea. I invite you to join me at my residence at 5, Sunehri Bagh Road, New Delhi, at 4:00 pm on Tuesday, 13th October," the invitation read.
The invitation comes amid an intensifying Opposition campaign against the Election Commission of India (ECI), with parties demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and alleging electoral manipulation by the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On Monday, Opposition leaders, activists and civil society members took part in a "March for Democracy" in central Delhi and submitted a joint petition against the SIR exercise and alleged electoral irregularities.
A large crowd carrying flags and posters gathered around Connaught Place. Among those who joined the march were Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, CPI leader D Raja, CPM general secretary M A Baby, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule.
The protesters breached a barricade on Bhagwan Dass Road but were stopped at a second barricade. Top INDIA bloc leaders later approached the Supreme Court to submit their petition.
The petition names the Election Commission of India, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi as respondents.
The march came a day after Chief Justice of India declined a request for a meeting with the Leaders of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the issue, citing the fact that the matter was sub judice.
The Opposition has been protesting since October 5, demanding Gyanesh Kumar's removal and accusing the BJP of manipulating elections through alleged "vote theft".
The campaign has gathered momentum following a report that differences had emerged within the Election Commission. According to the report, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections at least 14 times over the preceding 10 months, including on matters related to the SIR exercise.
Jantar Mantar denotified as protest site
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police's decision to denotify Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site has triggered objections from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), whose leaders had approached the Parliament Street police station seeking permission to hold a demonstration.
The move came after the CJP announced a protest for October 10 against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstration was prevented by the police, which detained party leaders, including Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, at Delhi airport before they could enter the city.
More than 25,000 security personnel, including Delhi Police personnel and central forces, were deployed in the national capital amid the protests.
On Sunday, police barricaded several parts of Delhi and restricted protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar, further escalating tensions over the restrictions on demonstrations.
Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar issued a standing order denotifying Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site and naming Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in east Delhi as alternative venues for protests and demonstrations.
Reacting to the decision, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said the government could eventually move to restrict democratic rights altogether. "Today Modi denotified Jantar Mantar. Tomorrow he will denotify democracy itself. Anyway, Jantar Mantar was turned into a war zone. Ab poora desh Jantar Mantar banega," he said.
CJP leader Ashutosh Ranka also criticised the move. "Why not declare Mt Everest as the designated protest site? Thirty minutes after we went to Delhi Police asking for a date when we can go to Jantar Mantar, it was denotified," he said.
