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Congress leader Balmoor Venkat on Thursday criticised the BJP and the Election Commission of India over what he described as attempts to deprive common people of their right to vote, while opposing the de-notification of Jantar Mantar as a designated venue for protests and demonstrations.
Speaking to ANI, Venkat accused the BJP and the Election Commission of India of attempting to deprive common people of their right to vote, asserting that Rahul Gandhi has been consistently raising the issue and fighting against it in Delhi. "The BJP and the Election Commission of India are attempting to strip the common people of their right to vote. Our Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, has been consistently raising this issue and fighting against it in Delhi," he said. He said Jantar Mantar had long served as a designated venue for protests and accused the BJP of attempting to suppress public voices by removing the space for demonstrations. "In a free country, everyone has the right to protest and speak about their grievances; the provision to hold protests at Jantar Mantar has long existed. However, driven by fear, the BJP is trying to suppress these voices and is attempting to remove the space for protests at Jantar Mantar," he added. According to an official notice, Jantar Mantar was de-notified on Monday as a designated venue for organising protests and demonstrations in Delhi. The Delhi Police has designated three alternative locations for holding such activities. The three new designated protest venues are Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had constituted a committee to examine alternative venues where citizens could exercise their right to organise protests and demonstrations in place of the existing designated site. Based on the committee's recommendations, Jantar Mantar has been de-notified as a protest venue, the official notice stated.(ANI)
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