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Leaders from across constituent parties of the opposition INDIA bloc converged at the historic Ramlila Maidan in the national capital, mounting a coordinated attack on the central government and the Election Commission of India (ECI) over alleged voter suppression and demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Mounting a high-decibel joint offensive against the central government and the poll panel, senior leaders from across the opposition INDIA bloc on Sunday converged at Delhi's historic Ramlila Maidan, asserting that "snatching away voting rights is an attempt to suppress democracy" and pressing for the immediate resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. Addressing a massive gathering in the national capital following a nationwide mobilisation call by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, top alliance leadersincluding state deputy chief ministers, ministers, and senior parliamentariansaccused the ECI of compromising its constitutional neutrality and demanded the immediate restoration of deleted voter names across the country. "...They (central govt and election commission) are trying to misguide the people. The basic point and fundamental right of any citizen of this country is what is given by the Indian Constitution. When you are trying to snatch away the voting right of an individual, that means you are trying to snatch or suppress democracy. This is not at all good because so many lakhs of people have sacrificed their lives to get this independence. Today, Kharge ji or Rahul ji has given the call for a rally. Definitely, it is a historical rally," Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Vikramarka told ANI in Delhi. Echoing the demand for accountability from the top leadership of the poll body, senior Kerala leader K. Muraleedharan asserted that democratic institutions were under systemic assault. "All ministers, including the Chief Minister and all party cadres, are in Delhi. We are supporting the agitation led by the INDIA alliance. We are demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, the CEC, who is trying to demolish democratic values," Muraleedharan said. Underlining the ideological purpose behind the mass mobilisation, Congress MP Mukul Wasnik said the collective struggle is aimed at reviving the constitutional vision of governance. "All this effortall this agitationis aimed at restoring the kind of parliamentary democracy envisioned in the Indian Constitution," Wasnik remarked. Dismissing counter-attacks from the ruling establishment, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant took a sharp dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying, "...Look at the history of 2014, then you can speak." Thousands of party workers, senior parliamentarians, and state ministers belonging to the INDIA bloc have assembled at Ramlila Maidan to protest against alleged voter list tampering, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, and what they describe as the systematic subversion of constitutional watchdogs. Earlier, triggering a massive political controversy, Jharkhand Cabinet Minister Irfan Ansari on Sunday warned that India could witness unrest similar to Bangladesh or Nepal, threatening that he would forcibly "take CEC Gyanesh Kumar to Ranchi" with 10,000 supporters if the poll chief refuses to step down from his post. Speaking to ANI in the national capital during the opposition INDIA bloc's mass mobilisation, the Congress leader escalated the offensive against the election watchdog, asserting that Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi is resolute on securing the CEC's immediate resignation over allegations of institutional bias and voter roll manipulation.".. "People have marched toward Delhi, and we harbour a deep fear that our India might end up in a situation like Bangladesh or Nepal. We demand the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar. Rahul Gandhi is determined to secure his resignation today, no matter what," Ansari said. (ANI)
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