New Delhi [India], October 9 (ANI): Recalling India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's iconic 1947 address, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday rallied Opposition lawmakers at the Central Hall of Parliament.
The gathering comes amid a political row over Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The address recalled the foundational promises of Indian democracy as the INDIA bloc stepped up its joint offensive against the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging institutional bias and political partiality.
"Jawaharlal Nehru gave a very famous speech. It was given from the Central Hall of Parliament on 14 August 1947. I want to quote a little bit from it. It is a fateful moment for us in India, for all Asia and for the world. A new star rises, the star of freedom in the East, a new hope comes into being, a vision long cherished materialises. May the star never set and that hope never be betrayed..." Rahul Gandhi said.
The INDIA opposition bloc and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) have accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of large-scale voter disenfranchisement, alleging that over 13 crore names were deleted in the SIR draft roll phase to target citizens opposed to the ruling BJP.
The row deepened after reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded internal objections over voter additions, deletions and administrative anomalies in the electoral software.
The ECI rejected claims of an institutional breakdown, stating that 13.39 crore electors were flagged under the standard ASD: Absent, Shifted, Dead and duplicate categories. It maintained that final SIR decisions were unanimous and involved thorough verification.
The INDIA bloc has launched a nationwide campaign and is scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu on the evening of Friday, October 9, to formally demand the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
Earlier, ahead of the INDIA bloc leaders’ meeting with President Droupadi Murmu over alleged irregularities in the electoral process, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday accused the government of acting out of fear while referring to the closure of metro stations and cancellation of train services.
Speaking to the reporters, he said that "They are afraid. A person who is afraid will die tomorrow, if not today."Kharge said opposition leaders would apprise the President of their concerns over alleged irregularities in the electoral process and the conduct of the Election Commission.
“The mistakes committed by Gyanesh Kumar have created a situation of fear in the country and put democracy in danger. That is why we are going to meet the President and apprise her of the things he has done,” Kharge said.
He claimed that other Election Commissioners had also flagged the alleged mistakes and written letters 10-15 times, but no corrective action had been taken.
“Rahul Gandhi has raised concerns over ‘vote chori’ and irregularities in EVMs. We have been raising these issues for a long time, not just today. We are doing this for the betterment of the nation,” he said.
Amid intensifying protests, the government has strengthened Kumar's Z+ security cover. Nationwide detentions of thousands of political volunteers have been reported ahead of a mega protest planned at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on October 10.
On the legal front, the Delhi High Court has listed for Monday, October 12, a plea by the Indian Youth Congress challenging Delhi Police's refusal to permit peaceful assembly at designated protest sites. (ANI)
Rahul Gandhi quotes Nehru's 1947 speech ahead of INDIA bloc MPs' meeting with President
