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Stepping up their offensive against the Election Commission of India (ECI), leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc on Tuesday staged a protest march demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, alleging widespread electoral malpractice and manipulation of voters' mandate.
Leading the charge, Congress leaders asserted that the opposition will not relent until accountability is established, with some leaders even calling for the dissolution of the current government and the conduct of fresh general elections. Congress leader Imran Pratapgarhi emphasised that the march, spearheaded by Rahul Gandhi, aims to defend democratic rights. "Today, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, the entire INDIA bloc is protesting against the manner in which people's voting rights have been snatched away. We will not back down until Gyanesh Kumar resigns," Pratapgarhi said. Escalating the attack, former Congress MP and Chairperson of Rachnatmak Congress, Sandeep Dikshit, termed the demand for the CEC's resignation as just a "small matter," alleging that the central government lacks any moral authority to continue. "Gyanesh Kumar's resignation is a very small matter. Look at what has come out. It has now become clear thatwhile earlier people said the BJP was a government of thievesit is now evident that this is a government formed through theft [a stolen mandate]," Dikshit told ANI. Demanding that the government be dismissed, Dikshit stated: "A government formed through theft has no moral right to remain in power. I feel the only solution now is that this government must be dismissed and fresh Lok Sabha elections should be conducted. There is no other way. This government came to power through immoral means and deceit." Questioning the integrity of the electoral process, the former MP claimed that even security personnel harbour doubts over the fairness of the elections. "If the elections had been fair, whoever won wouldn't have mattered. But when massive manipulation is suspected... go and ask the voters! Even the personnel standing here in uniform, directing us..ask them whether their votes were cast and counted fairly, they will say: 'No, today even I have doubts.' When doubt takes root, it strikes at the very foundation and weakens democracy and we cannot allow our democracy to be weakened," Dikshit added. (ANI)
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