Continuous rain since Friday morning in the national Capital forced the postponement of the symbolic public impeachment programme of CEC Gyanesh Kumar that was to be held in the lawns of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence. The event has now been schedule for Saturday at same venue.
“By consensus we have decided to postpone today’s programme to Saturday because of rain. We felt that it would be uncomfortable for seniors to sit in the rain, and we would do the exact same programme tomorrow,” Rahul Gandhi said at a joint press conference with INDIA bloc leaders outside Kharge’s 10, Rajaji Marg residence.
Sources said former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar was scheduled to chair the proceedings, where Kharge was to move the motion and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was expected to make the concluding remarks. INDIA bloc leaders had met on Thursday to give final shape to the public impeachment proceedings as a symbolic protest over the vote theft allegations.
Several INDIA bloc leaders such as Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretaries Jairam Ramesh and K C Venugopal, TMC’s Derek O’Brien and Mahua Moitra, SP’s Dharmedra Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Arvind Sawant, CPI(M)’s John Brittas, CPI’s P Sandosh Kumar, RJD’s Sanjay Yadav, RSP’s N K Premchandran, among others, held a meeting and discussed the INDIA bloc’s preparations for the protest.
Rahul said on Sunday, the Opposition will have a Chalo Dilli march to Ramlila ground and everyone who wishes to join is welcome, whether political or non-political. “Both the programmes are about the demolition of Indian democracy by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and his crew in the Election Commission,” the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged.
Rahul also alleged that the Home Minister is trying his best to stop people from coming into Delhi.
“This is not multiple protests. This is one protest. The entire Opposition is standing here. Anybody who wants to protest, any person is welcome to come here. We are all standing here because we are defending the Constitution, we are defending the idea of India. We are defending the vote, which is the expression of all Indians,” he said.
Standing alongside Rahul Gandhi during the presser, TMC’s Derek O’Brien said the INDIA bloc is in this together. “Civil society, students, youth, workers, housewives - we are all in this together. You heard what Mr Gandhi (Rahul Gandhi) and a representative of Mr Akhilesh Yadav said. I am representing Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress (AITC). The Shiv Sena, JMM, RSP, CPI, RJD, CPIM (L)and others are a political plus. We all are in this together and we will win together,” O’Brien said.
Representing the Samajwadi Party, MP Dharmendra Yadav said the public has realised that the victory that BJP boasts about is nothing but election manipulation and management. From EVMs to voter lists, everything is manipulated, he alleged.