The INDIA bloc’s delegation will meet President Droupadi Murmu at 8 pm on Friday over its demand for Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, amid allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
According to sources, the President’s office confirmed the appointment on Friday morning. The Opposition leaders will first meet at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan at 5 pm and may stage another protest over alleged vote theft, sources said.
The Opposition has been protesting in the national capital for the past three days, demanding Kumar’s resignation over the SIR exercise and what it alleges is vote chori.
Who Will Be Part Of The INDIA Bloc Delegation?
The delegation will include Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee, CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, among others.
The Opposition had sought an appointment with President Murmu on October 2. The Rashtrapati Bhavan subsequently asked the INDIA bloc to submit the names of the leaders who would attend the meeting.
INDIA Bloc Steps Up Protest Over ‘Vote Chori’
The meeting comes amid an intensifying Opposition campaign against the CEC. On Thursday, INDIA bloc leaders staged a sit-in at Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Gyanesh Kumar were conspiring to hijack the country through vote chori.
It was the third consecutive day of protests by Opposition leaders, who vowed to continue their agitation until Kumar resigns.
After two days of protests during which several leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, were detained and removed by police, the Opposition leaders gathered at Rajghat on Thursday to offer floral tributes and pray for wisdom for the BJP government and the CEC.
INDIA Bloc Finalises Joint Action Plan
Last week, the INDIA bloc finalised a joint action plan to intensify its campaign against the SIR exercise. The plan includes rallies and ‘Save Democracy’ marches.
The Opposition has alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls and has stepped up its demand for accountability from the Election Commission.
Election Commission Responds To Report On SIR Disagreements
The Opposition’s campaign has also intensified following a report by The Indian Express that election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections at least 14 times over the past 10 months, mostly regarding decisions and orders related to the SIR.
Responding to the report, the Election Commission said differences of opinion and observations were normal in institutional deliberations. It maintained that all its orders had full legal sanction and followed established statutory procedures.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
