New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday announced that the INDIA bloc’s proposed public impeachment programme against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has been postponed to Saturday due to rain in the national capital.
Addressing reporters, Gandhi said the decision was taken unanimously to avoid inconvenience to senior leaders and participants. The programme will take place at the same time, 3.30 pm, at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence.
Gandhi also urged people from different sections of society to join the INDIA bloc’s November 1 march to Ramlila Maidan, which is being organised to protest alleged electoral irregularities and raise concerns over the functioning of the Election Commission.
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Gyanesh Kumar of undermining democratic institutions, Gandhi alleged that people travelling to Delhi from several states were being prevented from attending the protest.
He said the proposed march would bring together political parties, civil society members, journalists and other citizens to defend the Constitution and the right to vote.
Gandhi further alleged that the public was angry over what the Opposition describes as the deletion of voters’ names and irregularities in the electoral process. He also accused the BJP leadership of benefiting from these alleged irregularities.
The INDIA bloc’s protest is part of its campaign against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and its demand for accountability from the Election Commission.
Opposition leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Pawan Khera, K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh, had met at Kharge’s residence on Thursday to discuss preparations for the programme.
The public impeachment-style event is now scheduled for October 31, ahead of the INDIA bloc’s rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1.
