Congress General Secretary (Organization) KC Venugopal stated that the INDIA bloc will hold a large demonstration on Monday and submit a memorandum to the Chief Justice of India, reaffirming that the opposition will persist with its agitation until Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resigns.
Speaking in Kannur, Kerala, Venugopal criticized restrictions imposed in the national capital during a demonstration led by the Congress Jan Sabha (CJP), which called for Kumar’s resignation. He alleged the government was apprehensive about the outreach against it.
“They are afraid of any level of agitation against them. We are not afraid of them… On Monday, we are going to have a massive demonstration, and we are giving a memorandum to the Chief Justice of India… You see what is happening in Delhi. They closed all the metro stations. They completely stopped the trains. What is this in this country?” Venugopal said.
He reiterated the opposition’s demand for Kumar’s resignation and accused the ruling party of protecting the Chief Election Commissioner. “They are not allowing any agitation. Without resignation, we are not going to leave. If Modi is going to protect Ganesh Kumar and Amit Shah, then finally it will go to Amit Shah and Ganesh Kumar. He is going to have it,” Venugopal added.
Earlier, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi announced that the INDIA bloc would resume protests on October 12, alleging that the Delhi Police and Bharatiya Janata Party workers used violence against students and women during the CJP-led protest.
In a series of posts on “Amit Shah’s Delhi Police has not only resorted to thuggery itself but is also giving a free hand and encouragement to the real goons of the RSS-BJP to perpetrate violence against women and the youth,” he stated.
Gandhi described attempts to suppress young people as likely to intensify their anger, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “Mogambo”, the antagonist from the film Mr India. “As I had said, the more ‘Mogambo Modi’ and his government try to suppress them, the more the anger of Gen Z and the students will intensify,” he said.
Announcing the next round of protests, Gandhi said, “On Monday, October 12, the Congress, the entire INDIA alliance, and the youth of the country will once again take to the streets in large numbers. And this time, too, the voice will resonate across the nation—louder than ever before.”
Gandhi also disclosed that the opposition would meet Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday to demand accountability for the alleged violence and treatment of protesters. “On Monday, we will also meet the Chief Justice Surya Kant and demand that the guardians of the law cannot sit with a blindfold on while the Constitution is being torn to shreds and democracy trampled upon on the streets of Delhi,” he said. “Will the Constitution be reduced to tatters while we remain silent? That will absolutely not happen. We will ensure accountability!”
According to Delhi Police sources, approximately 1,000 protesters were detained across the national capital while attempting to reach the protest site. Those detained included Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, All India Students’ Association leader Neha Bora, CJP activists Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka, and CJP legal head Ratna Singh. Several other political leaders and demonstrators were also held at multiple locations in Delhi and elsewhere.