The Centre is turning every democratic institution into a tool for anti-democratic actions, Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal has said, amid the Opposition’s protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
You have repeatedly said the agitation will continue. Gandhi has also said so. After the Ramlila Maidan rally, what is the next plan?
Edited excerpts: There are two aspects to this. First, we have to understand the gravity of the issue that we have been raising for the last two years. (Congress MP) Rahul Gandhi has continuously raised the issue of vote theft. The second is the role played by the Congress in mobilising people. The party has also gained considerable enthusiasm through its organisational-building exercise, Sangathan Srijan. There is uncertainty on the government’s side, not on the Opposition’s side. They are repeatedly trying to split political parties. They think this is their strategy. But they should understand that the people of India have realised what is happening. If they continue doing this, they will expose themselves further and their failure will be terrible. It is further damaging the democracy of this country. Our mindset is very open. The issue is very big. This is not about any individual becoming Prime Minister or anything else. It is not about any political party coming to power. This is about restoring the fundamental right of the ordinary people to vote. Whoever wants to join this movement is welcome. Nothing else matters. Whoever is fighting for this cause, we are with them. If the cause is genuine and the fight is sincere, there is no issue at all.
Because the people will understand even more clearly that the government is trying to achieve its objectives by hook or by crook, in any case, if something like this happens, it will only benefit the Opposition and the INDIA bloc. Because of its illegal activities and actions against the democratic values of this country, we will cooperate with people who are ready to cooperate with us sincerely and with the clear conviction that this government must go.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Venugopal said the people of the country want Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to become the Prime Minister and hit out at Union home minister Amit Shah over his remarks that the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha can only take up the role in a mock Parliament. He has said that elections are being stolen and that the system of conducting elections has become completely one-sided. That is what Gandhi has also said.
