A delegation of INDIA bloc leaders, including Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, met President Droupadi Murmu on Friday evening (October 9) and submitted a memorandum on “vote chori” (vote theft) issue and also demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Besides Kharge, Rahul and Banerjee, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, NCP(SP)’s Supriya Sule, RJD’s Manoj Jha, VCK chief Thol. Thirumavalavan, IUML’s E T Mohammed Basheer, CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby, CPI’s D Raja were among those who were part of the 10-member delegation.
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Carrying a big “Save Democracy” banner, INDIA bloc MPs marched from Parliament House to Rashtrapati Bhavan, but they were stopped at Vijay Chowk by the police, who had put up barricades.
“We handed our memorandum to the President listing our concerns of election chori and vote chori. The President did not deny vote chori, but the President asked us to bring her proof of vote chori. We will bring the proof to her. I thank her from my heart,” Rahul said after meeting President Murmu.
Earlier, the INDIA bloc MPs met at the Central Hall of the Parliament and deliberated upon their strategy to take forward their plan for agitation against “vote chori” and press for CEC Kumar’s ouster.
Security stepped up in Delhi; internet suspended
Meanwhile, security has been stepped up at the borders connecting Noida with Delhi, with police personnel and Border Security Force (BSF) jawans deployed at key points ahead of a major protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in the national capital on Saturday (October 10). The protest has been called to demand the resignation of CEC Kumar amid allegations of irregularities in election-related processes.
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Internet services will be suspended within a 4-kilometre radius of Jantar Mantar from 10 pm on October 9 to 10 pm on October 10. The suspension will apply to all mobile internet services. Internet services in the rest of Delhi will remain unaffected.
At the Chilla border, personnel from the Noida and Delhi police, along with BSF jawans, have been deployed as part of heightened security arrangements.
Police teams have begun checking suspicious vehicles and questioning people as needed, officials said.
Security personnel are keeping a close watch on buses, taxis and private cars entering Delhi from Noida. Police are stopping vehicles for checks as part of efforts to prevent any untoward incident during the protest.
Security personnel have also placed reinforced concrete (RCC) barriers at the border to strengthen security. Police might seal the border around 9 pm on Friday, though an official confirmation of the proposed measure was not immediately available. Several social organisations, members of farmers’ unions and leaders of some political parties in Noida have alleged that police have placed them under house arrest ahead of the protest.
SC slams Centre on Metro curbs
Supreme Court on Friday questioned the Centre over unprecedented curbs announced in the national capital ahead of the planned protest by the CJP on Saturday. It was particularly critical of the closure of Metro rail services planned to prevent the arrival of protesters.
“Young people, elderly all travel. Commuters have a right to basic facilities,” the court told the Centre’s lawyer, asking for the number of closed Metro stations to be brought down. The court made these observations while hearing a petition against closures of metro stations and cancellation of trains by CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby.
Earlier, Delhi Police denied permission for the CJP to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar over the accountability of CEC Kumar, citing short notice and previous violations of police directions.
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