New Delhi: Opposition leaders and MPs are set to march towards Nirvachan Sadan, the headquarters of the Election Commission of India (ECI), in the national capital on Tuesday morning as part of their ongoing protest over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and their demand for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
The march comes amid the Opposition’s sustained campaign over alleged discrepancies in electoral rolls and its demand for greater transparency from the poll panel.
Leaders of several INDIA bloc parties are expected to participate in the march and raise their concerns before the Election Commission.
The protest is part of a broader “Save Democracy” campaign announced by the Opposition, under which its leaders have been holding demonstrations and public programmes over issues related to the Election Commission. The INDIA bloc had announced that opposition MPs would march to the ECI on October 6.
The march to Nirvachan Sadan is expected to intensify the political confrontation between the Opposition and the poll panel over electoral-roll-related issues.
Opposition MPs to Assemble at Makar Dwar
Earlier on October 5, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said MPs of opposition parties would march peacefully from Parliament House to the Election Commission on Tuesday as part of the INDIA bloc’s planned programmes over alleged “vote theft” and the demand for removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
Ramesh said a meeting of all Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) presidents and in-charges was held for two hours in the presence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
He said Opposition MPs had been asked to assemble at Makar Dwar at 10:30 a.m. ahead of the march.
“A meeting of all PCC presidents and in-charges was held for two hours. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi were also present. At 11 AM (Tuesday), MPs of all opposition parties will march peacefully from Parliament House to the Election Commission. Everyone has been given the time of 10.30 AM to assemble at Makar Dwar,” the senior Congress leader said.
“This march will be carried out in a peaceful manner. Till October 8, all INDIA alliance parties will organise padyatras at the district level. There will be demonstrations; there will be meetings,” he added.
Ramesh further outlined the Opposition’s planned programmes at the block, state and district levels, saying the campaign would focus on the alleged issue of vote theft and gathering information about voters whose names are not on electoral rolls.
“Regarding the issue of vote theft and the demand for removal of the CEC. From 10th October to 20th October, there will be meetings at the block level. From 25th October to 25th November, ‘Save votes, save the country’ rallies will be organised at the state level, district level, and Chaupals in every village, and the objective in this month will be to get information about the 13.5 crore voters whose names are not in the voter list,” he added.
Supreme Court Clarifies Form 6 Issue
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday clarified that it had not approved any modified version of Form 6, which is used for enrolling new voters during the SIR process.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant said, “Any modified Form 6 has not been approved by us. Let’s be clear. When the record is produced, we would like to see who has modified.”
The Supreme Court also declined to grant an ex-parte interim order seeking suspension of CEC Gyanesh Kumar while issuing notices to the Centre, the ECI, Kumar and other officials. The petition alleges that 14 crucial SIR-related decisions were taken in the name of the Election Commission despite objections allegedly recorded by the other two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
The plea also raises questions over the alteration of Form 6 and alleged changes to electoral-roll systems without the participation or approval of the other Commissioners.
The court said it would first examine the allegations after receiving responses from the respondents. The CJI further observed that if any violation of the statutory framework was established, the court could undo the decision.
The Election Commission, meanwhile, has disputed the Opposition’s characterisation of the Form 6 issue, saying the statutory form itself has not been changed, according to current reporting.
INDIA Bloc Intensifies Campaign Against ECI
Earlier on September 30, following an INDIA bloc coordination meeting in New Delhi, 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.
Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while addressing the press conference, said the Opposition would continue to protest until Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resigns. She also demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resignation.
The allegations made by Opposition leaders about the Election Commission and the SIR process remain politically contested, with the ECI maintaining that its decisions were taken through its established decision-making process.