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Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has invited opposition MPs for high tea at his residence on Tuesday, a day after INDIA bloc leaders and supporters marched towards the Supreme Court over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
On Monday, INDIA bloc leaders and supporters, led by Rahul Gandhi, marched through Barakhamba Road towards the Supreme Court, following which 11 opposition leaders filed a petition in the apex court challenging the Election Commission's decisions relating to the SIR of electoral rolls. Speaking to ANI in the national capital, Congress leader Pawan Khera said the party had approached the Supreme Court because of its faith in the judiciary. "We completely disagree with this position, whoever has done it. It is completely incorrect. We have absolute faith in the judiciary of this country and respect the highest court. That is exactly why we went to the doorstep of the highest court and knocked on its door, because of the confidence we have in the judiciary," Khera said. Targeting the central government and the Election Commission, Khera accused the ruling dispensation of undermining democratic institutions and "stealing elections". "We will exhaust every avenue possible to protect our democracy and rescue it from the clutches of Gyanesh Kumar and his two masters. As for the next step, all INDIA bloc partners are currently brainstorming, and we will announce our next step," he said. Khera further alleged that the government was struggling to respond to allegations of institutional capture. "This outgoing government simply does not know how to respond because they know the charges are accurate. They know they have been stealing elections and capturing institutions. The country is responding very sharply, which is why they are afraid of the citizens, and they should be afraid," he added. Congress MP Manish Tewari said, "There are two demands. The current voter list be scrapped and the 2024 voter list reinstated, and CEC Gyanesh Kumar Gupta resign" Earlier, Rahul Gandhi thanked the leaders of the opposition for their support during the protest march and vowed that their fight would continue. "We needed to show the government that the people of India are not going to be intimidated. You cannot beat us, threaten us, frighten us. We will not accept being bullied...As I said in my press conference, there are no parallel protests. Its one protest, and its a protest where everybody is standing together. Every single person is going to stand against these killers of our Constitution, these killers of our democracy. And were not going to back down," he said. (ANI)
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