Opposition MPs of the INDIA bloc on Wednesday headed to Jantar Mantar to stage a sit-in against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and raise allegations of “vote chori”, a day after staging an eight-hour dharna seeking a meeting with the Election Commission.
The MPs gathered for a solidarity lunch hosted by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at a restaurant in Janpath before boarding buses for the designated protest site.
“We will protest at Jantar Mantar, which is a designated protest site, and tell the country that for us Gyanesh Kumar is not a legitimate Election Commissioner,” Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi told reporters.
Gandhi said around 300 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs had sought a meeting with the Election Commissioners but were denied permission to protest near the poll panel’s office.
The opposition MPs had staged an eight-hour sit-in at the Akashvani Bhawan premises on Tuesday after police stopped their march to the Election Commission office.
Gandhi reiterated his demand for Kumar’s resignation, alleging that the government was undermining democracy. On an FIR registered against him over Tuesday’s protest, he said, “I have 45 FIRs against me. My target is that there should be 100 FIRs against me. Every FIR against me is a medal for me.”
Kharge said the Opposition would continue its campaign, alleging that the Election Commission was making mistakes at the behest of the government.
“We are all united and will continue to fight against this government,” he said, adding that cases against opposition leaders would not deter them.
RJD leader Manoj Jha said the Opposition would “fight out this government together”, while TMC’s Derek O’Brien said the parties were united and would continue their fight “till they are out”.
CPI’s P Sandosh Kumar also backed the demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s removal, saying the Opposition was united in the fight.
(With inputs from PTI)