- INDIA bloc leaders protested near EC, demanding resignation.
- Election Commission confirmed no official meeting request was received.
- Police detained Rahul Gandhi, other leaders marching to EC.
The Election Commission on Tuesday said it had not received any request from any political party for a meeting, even as Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders staged a protest near the poll panel’s office seeking a meeting with the election commissioners.
The clarification from the EC came after high drama unfolded during the INDIA bloc’s march from Parliament Street towards the Election Commission headquarters.
EC Says No Meeting Request Received
Responding to a query on whether INDIA bloc leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, had sought a meeting with the Election Commission, poll panel officials said no request for a meeting on Tuesday had been received from any political party whatsoever.
The statement came as opposition leaders protested near the Election Commission headquarters, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and withdrawal of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Rahul Gandhi Questions Police
The INDIA bloc’s march was stopped by security personnel amid heavy security and barricading in Delhi. Several opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, were subsequently detained.
During the confrontation with police, Gandhi questioned restrictions on where he could stage his protest, a PTI report said.
Recalling an earlier interaction in which he said he was asked to leave a place where he had been sitting, Gandhi questioned the officers about where he was permitted to sit.
“I told the police, ‘I was sitting over there earlier. You removed me from there. Now I have come here, and you want to remove me from here too.’ I am simply asking the police—fine, if you want to remove me from here, go ahead—but just tell me: where in this country can I sit? I just want to sit somewhere. I asked the police politely: Please tell me where I can sit. Can I sit at India Gate? Can I sit at Jantar Mantar? Can I sit on the road? Where can I sit? Just name a place, and I will sit there,” he said.
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Rahul, Priyanka Enter Akashvani Bhawan
Earlier in the day, Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with some other opposition leaders, entered the Akashvani Bhawan premises in an attempt to reach the Election Commission’s office.
The opposition MPs had marched from Parliament towards the poll panel headquarters, seeking Kumar’s resignation and the withdrawal of the SIR exercise.
The march was halted before the leaders could reach the Election Commission’s office.
Gandhi also climbed a police barricade during the standoff and waved the national flag before being taken into custody, according to reports.
Opposition Campaign Over SIR
The protest was part of the Opposition’s broader campaign against the Election Commission over the SIR and alleged irregularities in the electoral roll revision exercise.
The INDIA bloc has been demanding action over its concerns regarding the revision of electoral rolls, while the Election Commission has maintained its position on the SIR exercise.
The latest protest and the EC’s statement on Tuesday came amid the continuing standoff between the Opposition and the poll panel over the issue.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
