Opposition parties have urged people to join their next round of protests on Monday that will include an unprecedented march to the Supreme Court after security forces turned central Delhi into a fortress and clamped down on thousands of protesters to stop a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led movement demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said, “We appeal to every Indian concerned about the survival of Indian democracy to join us in a massive protest march in Delhi on Monday – against the nationwide Vote Chori orchestrated by the Modi-Shah regime. The cowardice of the BJP-RSS is on full display today,” he posted on X. “In the history of the country, no political delegation has ever marched to the Supreme Court. “Our youth, students, lawyers, journalists, social activists, farm union leaders, YouTubers, content creators, everyone who is questioning this regime are being detained. The Modi Govt has turned the ‘Mother of Democracy’ into a ‘Muzzled Democracy’!
On Friday, a 10-member Opposition delegation met President Droupadi Murmu and submitted a memorandum seeking Kumar’s resignation, the repeal of the 2023 law granting immunity to the CEC and election commissioners and an immediate halt to the SIR.
INDIA bloc leaders said they will urge the apex court to expedite cases related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the Election Commission (EC). It will be unprecedented,” said another senior leader, requesting anonymity. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi -led government of turning the “mother of democracy” into a “muzzled democracy”, while Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi challenged the PM saying, “We are surrounding you, and we are not going to back down. Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said the country’s youth had awakened and demanded Kumar’s resignation. Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee said protests would continue in Delhi. Kharge, who chaired the INDIA bloc meeting that finalised the protest plan, said the government was detaining people questioning its actions. He said detentions, arrests, jail terms, lathis and pellets would not deter people from protesting.
