|
Delhi Police has not withdrawn the permission granted to the Congress to hold a rally at Ramlila Maidan, police sources said on Tuesday, clarifying that there has been no change in the earlier approval.
"Delhi Police has not withdrawn permission for the Congress rally at Ramlila Maidan. There is no change in the permission that was earlier granted, Delhi Police sources said. On the proposed mock Parliament event at Ashoka Hotel, police sources said the matter depended on the hotel, as the premises are privately owned. "With Respect to the Ashoka Hotel Mock parliament, Delhi Police says it depends on the hotel since it's their private premises," the sources said. The Congress has planned a public impeachment-style proceeding against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on October 30, followed by a Dilli Chalo march and a public gathering at Ramlila Maidan on November 1. Earlier, Delhi Police had confirmed that a No Objection Certificate (NOC) was issued to the Congress for booking Ramlila Maidan from October 25 to November 3. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Central, Rohit Rajbir Singh, had said the Congress approached the police after obtaining a venue availability certificate from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The DCP had explained that the MCD, which owns the land, would complete the booking process after the police issued the NOC. The ground is among three designated venues for protests and demonstrations in Delhi, along with Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi, following the de-notification of Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site. Earlier in the day, All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal alleged that the Delhi Police had stopped preparations for the Congress's planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Venugopal had alleged that the police intervention in preparations for the event was directed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He said Congress had secured permission to use Ramlila Maidan from October 25 to November 3, but police personnel stopped infrastructure work over the weekend. He also alleged that the government was attempting to suppress democratic protests against the removal of genuine voters from electoral rolls. Venugopal asserted that the INDIA bloc would continue its agitation until Gyanesh Kumar was removed from the post of Chief Election Commissioner and the electoral system was purified. The Opposition INDIA bloc has been protesting against the SIR of electoral rolls and demanding the resignation or removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral irregularities and concerns about voter deletions. The protests have also seen police action, with more than 100 demonstrators detained amid heightened security in Central Delhi. Congress and its allies have maintained that their agitation will continue until accountability is established within the Election Commission of India. (ANI)
|
