CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya on Sunday described the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as a “surgical strike” on people's voting rights, while CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby termed the INDIA bloc's agitation a “second freedom struggle” to save the country from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Addressing the gathering at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, the Left leaders accused the BJP-led Centre of undermining constitutional rights and called for the movement against alleged electoral irregularities to be taken to every corner of the country.
“The whole nation has understood that SIR is a tool to snatch away people's right to vote, a surgical strike on people by the government,” Bhattacharya said.
He said the right to vote and the right to protest were fundamental to democracy, alleging that both were under attack. He also accused the authorities of attempting to silence the movement by preventing protesters from gathering at Jantar Mantar.
“It looks like Delhi has been placed under military rule. They are trying to silence our voices,” he said, describing the gathering at Ramlila Maidan as a historic moment.
Bhattacharya called for the movement against SIR to continue across states and demanded changes to the 2023 law governing the appointment of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners.
“Ambedkar gave the right to vote to all. We will not let it go,” he said, urging the youth and Gen-Z to join the agitation and make alleged electoral manipulation a key issue in the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand.
Baby said the large gathering at Ramlila Maidan represented a collective rejection of the Centre's attempts to prevent people from expressing their opinions. He warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar that their “authoritarian tactics” would not succeed.
“We can see a sea of people. They are all saying the same thing to Modi, Shah and Gyanesh: 'Your fascist tactics will not work in India',” he said.
Referring to the historical significance of Ramlila Maidan, Baby recalled that Mahatma Gandhi, B R Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and other freedom fighters had addressed gatherings at the venue.
“This is a second struggle for independence, to save the country from the fascist hands of the RSS,” he said.
Demanding accountability over alleged electoral irregularities, Baby called for Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and prosecution.
“Vote chori karne wale Gyanesh ka istifa lena hai (We will force Gyanesh Kumar, who is responsible for 'vote chori', to resign),” he said.
Drawing a contrast between the freedom struggle and the present political leadership, Baby said Mahatma Gandhi had followed the path of 'satyagraha', while Modi was treading a path of lies.
“He (Modi) had told farmers he would double their incomes. What happened? Farmers' incomes did not double, but the number of farmer suicides did,” Baby said.
(With inputs from PTI)
