Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said he and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi would meet Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant between 4 pm and 5 pm on Monday to apprise him of the opposition's concerns over alleged “vote chori” and seek his intervention.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Kharge accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of creating chaos across the country, alleging that the heavy security deployment and mass detentions during Saturday's protests in Delhi reflected the government's fear of the youth-led agitation.
“We have sought a time between 4 and 5 pm. We will also apprise him, as we cannot demand. Only with folded hands, we can request him,” Kharge said, referring to the proposed meeting with the CJI.
“Chaos is being created in the country by the home minister and the prime minister, and everywhere an undeclared emergency is imposed,” he added.
Kharge said both he and Rahul Gandhi had written to the CJI seeking an appointment. In a post on X, the Congress president reiterated that they would meet Surya Kant on Monday to apprise him of the situation.
Referring to the security clampdown in Delhi on Saturday, Kharge alleged that roads were blocked, communication channels disrupted, access to the airport restricted and mobile networks shut down.
He claimed that nearly 32,000 police personnel and 7,500 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel had been deployed in the national capital, arguing that the scale of the deployment reflected the government's apprehension over the youth agitation.
Kharge alleged that the measures demonstrated the government's unwillingness to allow democracy to function peacefully in the country. “We will continue our fight to protect democracy and the constitutional rights of the people,” he said.
The proposed meeting with the CJI comes amid an intensifying opposition campaign demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission and the conduct of elections.
Saturday's protest, called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), saw extensive security restrictions and detentions across Delhi as demonstrators attempted to reach Jantar Mantar. More than 7,000 people, including opposition leaders and activists, were detained, while restrictions were imposed on metro and train services and internet services were suspended in parts of the capital, according to reports.
Opposition parties have been protesting since Tuesday, accusing the BJP and the prime minister of facilitating alleged electoral manipulation through what they call “vote chori”.
The INDIA bloc's campaign began with a march from Parliament to the Election Commission on Tuesday. The march was stopped en route, following which Rahul Gandhi staged an eight-hour sit-in at the Akashvani Bhawan complex.
Opposition MPs subsequently met for lunch in central Delhi on Wednesday and Thursday before holding demonstrations at Jantar Mantar and Rajghat, respectively. On Friday evening, INDIA bloc leaders met President Droupadi Murmu and submitted a memorandum seeking her intervention.
The opposition alliance has also announced a protest march in Delhi on Monday against Kumar over the “vote chori” allegations.
The latest escalation follows a report highlighting differences within the poll body, with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi reportedly recording objections on at least 14 occasions over the preceding 10 months, including on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Last week, INDIA bloc parties finalised a joint action plan on the SIR controversy, including rallies and “save democracy” marches.
(With inputs from PTI)