Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Thursday called on the Center to revoke the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, warning that failure to do so would result in Prime Minister Narendra Modi being forced to leave office.
Reddy made the remarks after the INDIA bloc visited Raj Ghat as part of a campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He stated, “Roll back SIR, otherwise you will have to vacate your position. ‘Sampoorn kranti’. Vacate your throne, Modi ji; otherwise the public will make you do that.”
Congress MP Manickam Tagore said the INDIA bloc had been protesting on Delhi’s streets for three consecutive days. He explained, “First, we went from Parliament to meet the CEC to convey to him that he has been a part of ‘vote chori’. Second, yesterday we went to protest at Jantar Mantar. We were not allowed. LoP Rahul Gandhi was treated very badly.”
Tagore added that the visit to Raj Ghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi was also a protest against what they described as the erosion of the right to protest. “We said that the democratic principles of India are under attack. The right to dissent is being hijacked in India; we are being silenced and not being allowed to protest anywhere in Delhi,” he said.
He further alleged, “The CEC must go; he has an understanding with Amit Shah and Mr Modi. To keep them in power, the CEC has done ‘vote chori’.” Regarding next steps, Tagore indicated the opposition would announce a decision soon, stating, “Tomorrow morning we will let you know whenever there is a decision.”
Earlier, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and other INDIA bloc leaders paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat, marking the third consecutive day of protest against SIR.
Congress General Secretary (Organization) and MP KC Venugopal emphasized the significance of the opposition’s actions. “This is the greatest message we are giving. Mahatma Gandhi led the freedom fight for India. The entire democracy is completely finished by Modi and Shah through Gyanesh Kumar. We have come here to pray to Mahatma. This is one of the most powerful agitations…We will let you know (the next course of action),” he told reporters.
Speaking to ANI, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said the country was united in its demand, stating that the central leadership should “listen to the voice of the country.” He added, “The entire country is united today. The country demands Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. PM should bow before the nation and remember that he himself had called himself ‘Pradhansevak’. As the Prime Minister, he should listen to the voice of the country and leave, trying to win the election through deception with the help of the Election Commission.”
The INDIA bloc MPs had staged a march to Nirvachan Sadan on Tuesday and protested near Jantar Mantar on Wednesday, events which led to police detaining several MPs, including Rahul Gandhi.