Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has invited Opposition MPs for a lunch meeting at 1 pm in the national capital, where lawmakers are expected to sign a letter seeking an appointment with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, reported news agency ANI, quoting sources said on Wednesday.
The meeting comes a day after INDIA bloc leaders marched towards Nirvachan Sadan on October 6 to protest against the Election Commission and Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Congress, in a post on Wednesday, said its “struggle” would continue until the Constitution and democracy were “fully protected from every anti-people and anti-national force”.
The INDIA bloc has been demanding answers from the Election Commission on the SIR and has accused the poll panel of failing to address its concerns.
The protest was part of the Opposition's broader “Save Democracy” campaign. Leaders of several INDIA bloc parties marched towards Nirvachan Sadan but were stopped by barricades.
The leaders subsequently staged a sit-in at Akashvani Bhawan, where Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi claimed that around 300 Opposition MPs wanted to meet the Election Commissioners and submit their concerns. Several Opposition leaders, including Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, were later detained by Delhi Police.
The Election Commission, however, said no political party had sought an appointment with the poll panel until 4 pm on October 6.
In a statement, the ECI said Delhi Police informed it at around 4 pm that a delegation of about 240 MPs, led by Rahul Gandhi, wanted to meet the Election Commissioners and submit a memorandum at the Parliament House Annexe.
The poll panel said the proposed venue and manner of seeking the meeting were “unusual” in view of its established protocol.
“Earlier, during the march of certain political parties towards the Election Commission, it was learnt through the media that some Members of Parliament wished to meet the Commission along with their delegation,” the ECI said.
“With regard to today's developments, it is clarified that, till 4.00 PM today, no political party, through its representatives, had sought an appointment for a meeting with the Election Commission,” it said.
The ECI said it was subsequently informed by Delhi Police that a delegation of MPs led by Rahul Gandhi wanted to meet the Commission and submit a memorandum.
The poll panel said it considered sending its most senior executive officer to the Parliament House Annexe to receive the memorandum from the Opposition MPs, but the offer was rejected.