The opposition INDIA bloc on Sunday held a massive rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, demanding the BJP's ouster over allegations of "vote chori" and electoral irregularities, and accusing the ruling party of coming to power at the Centre and in states through a "stolen" mandate.
Prominent leaders of the grouping also opposed the revision of electoral rolls, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi warned that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar will be removed and jailed for treason in the future, and asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah will not be allowed to escape the law.
"Narendra Modi ji and Amit Shah ji, understand this -- after Gyanesh Kumar, we will stand against you and don't forget that for the 'vote chori' you have done, there will be legal action against you," Gandhi said.
The opposition leaders alleged that the Chief Election Commisisoner (CEC) had colluded with the BJP to "steal" the votes of citizens and vowed to fight to "protect the Constitution and democracy".
"This was not the voice of any one political party or leader but of the entire opposition and nation that includes India's youth, women, farmers, labourers and common people.
"They are declaring that 'we will not let democracy and Constitution be destroyed in India," the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said, hailing the turnout at the rally.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge accused Modi and Shah of shielding the CEC.
"Modi and Shah have attempted to snatch the vote of Dalits, youth and women. Modi ji wants to take away their votes through his man -- Ganesh Kumar. We will keep fighting until he goes, and ensure his exit," he said.
Alleging that "vote chori" has been taking place in the country for several years, Gandhi described the 2024 Lok Sabha election as "illegal".
He pointed out that the Election Commission removed 15 per cent of total voters from the electoral rolls even while the difference between the NDA and the opposition grouping was merely 3 per cent of votes.
"This means that the 2024 election was illegal; it was stolen. I am not saying this but the EC stated this because they have removed 13.3 crore voters from the 2024 list," he said.
"This was not a normal theft, as this is stealing the voice of citizens and in legal parlance it is called 'rarest of rare'; this is treason. Without Gyanesh Kumar, neither Modi would have become PM nor Shah Home Minister," he said.
Responding to Shah's statement that Modi is not going anywhere, Gandhi said, "Narendra Modi cannot go anywhere; even if he wants to go, we will not let him."
The "vote bachao, desh bachao maharally' was part of the opposition's series of protests for removal of CEC Kumar and scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Top opposition leaders, including former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, TMC's Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, NC's Farooq Abdullah, PDP's Mehbooba Mufti, CPI-M's M A Baby, CPI's D Raja, NCP-SP's Supriya Sule and Shiv Sena-UBT's Sanjay Raut were among those present at the rally, besides Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K C Venugopal, Dipankar Bhattacharya and civil society members.
SP's Akhilesh Yadav said the Ramlila Maidan has turned into the "Haldighati of democracy" with a massive turnout of people and asserted that this is indicative of change in the offing.
Mamata Banerjee claimed that West Bengal election was hijacked and called upon people across communities and political affiliations to unite against the BJP. "The BJP will go, will go, will go. They are going to go," she said emphatically.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav likened the fight against alleged "vote chori" to the epic Mahabharata, describing it as a battle between the country's voters and "cheaters".
"You know who was Shakuni... Shakuni is playing his game, and we have to fight and create Kurukshetra. When Shakuni rolled the dice, he rigged it.
"Everyone knows who is Shakuni...Gyanu (Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar) is Modi's 'namoona (minion)'. He should be tried for treason and jailed so that no one dares to trample democracy in future."
"The country is watching as constitutional institutions fail to deliver justice," he added
The BJP, however, described the rally as a "chaotic, unruly spectacle" and assailed Rahul Gandhi for his remarks about Prime Minister Modi's election, saying the Congress leader was speaking like the "son of a Mughal emperor".
BJP chief Nitin Nabin lashed out at Rahul Gandhi, alleging that he was acting at the behest of foreign powers to create anarchy in the country.
Gandhi said that they did not promote violence and neither had any hatred towards Modi, Shah or Gyanesh Kumar. "We will not spread hatred; we will work with love but we will not let them destroy the Constitution," he said.
"I want to say to you, Gyanesh Kumar will be removed from the CEC post. Gyanesh Kumar will go to jail," Gandhi said, adding that removing Kumar was the first step in bringing the country back on rails and they would take on Modi and Shah thereafter.
Congress chief Kharge said that it was essential to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power in order to save democracy.
"Modi jayega to hi loktantra bachega, Modi ko hatayenge tabhi loktantra ko bachenyenge, Modi ko hatao loktantra ko bachao (Remove Modi to save democracy)," he said.
Alleging that Modi and Shah are trying to protect CEC Kumar, Kharge said even "if the CEC hides underground, we will find him".
"It is not the voters who choose Modi, it is Modi who chooses the voters," he said, while alleging that there was collusion between the BJP and the CEC, who added or deleted voters to assist the BJP.
Akhilesh Yadav also claimed that those who came to power at the Centre through Uttar Pradesh will also exit from there. 'UP wallahs (people)', who are good at welcoming, are better at giving send-offs," he said, referring to the upcoming state elections.
Taking a dig at Shah, Yadav said those who speak of having a firm, immovable stance -- likening it to the unshakeable foot of Angad -- should consider where they would even place that foot, given that there is no ground left to stand on.
He referred to the recent MLC polls and said the people of Kashi (Varanasi) have reduced the "double-engine" government to a 'double zero.'
"We, in the 'INDIA' alliance, will not stop," he said. "If we were unable to form the government in 2022, it is because of this very theft," Yadav added.
He said a change was in the offing, and the "parivartan" can come anytime.
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee extended her support to the CJP leadership and Gen Z activists at the INDIA bloc rally here, as she accused the BJP of manipulating elections and using SIR exercise to target states ruled by non-NDA parties.
She was seen warming up to Sonia Gandhi, whom she addressed as "my leader", and acknowledged the presence of her once arch rivals, Left parties.
Criticising the SIR exercise, Banerjee described it as "Special Intensive Relief to a party like the BJP".
"We did not lose, we were made to lose. We will fight this democratically. You looted jobs, lives and the respect of women. You hijacked the election," she alleged.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti also spoke, besides left leaders M A Baby and CPI-ML's Dipankar Bhattacharya.
(With inputs from PTI)