HYDERABAD: Delhi Police on Wednesday stopped Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy as he was on his way to express solidarity with Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders protesting against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Speaking outside the Barakhamba police station after Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders were arrested, Revanth condemned the arrests and demanded that the SIR be scrapped and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign.
“We will continue our fight under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi,” he said, alleging that the arrests reflected the intolerance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
If Gyanesh doesn’t resign, Modi will be made to quit: Revanth
Revanth alleged that the BJP government had earlier used the Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation to influence elections and was now using the Election Commission of India for the same purpose.
The chief minister alleged that the ECI was seeking to delete a large number of votes during the SIR on the instructions of the prime minister.
“If Gyanesh Kumar does not resign and things go further, the prime minister will have to resign. So this movement is not going to stop here. It will go from the streets to Parliament, to save the Constitution,” he said.
Calling the agitation a “people’s movement”, Revanth said it was not limited to the Congress.
“We have come onto the streets to save the Constitution. But the government has gone deaf and blind and is not willing to listen to us. So, the entire public came onto the streets. This is the people’s movement. It is
not the Congress’s movement. When the people raise their voice, the government will have to listen. If it does not, the government will not survive,” he said.
He also compared the agitation with the “Simon Go Back” movement, saying that while that campaign was launched about a century ago, a “SIR Go Back” movement was now under way.
Telangana Congress to hold ‘Save Democracy’ protest
The ruling Congress will hold a protest march and public meeting in Hyderabad on Thursday under the banner of ‘Save Democracy’, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR process.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is expected to participate in the protest.