A delegation of INDIA bloc leaders met President Droupadi Murmu on Friday evening and submitted a memorandum alleging "vote chori", with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge saying they had sought a return to ballot papers for elections.
The meeting comes amid the Opposition's push for Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Kharge said the President had asked the opposition to provide evidence of "vote chori", which it was preparing to submit. The delegation included Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Kharge said, "We told the President about vote chori and the serious mistake made by Gyanesh Kumar, as votes are being stolen right from his office. That is why we have demanded that EVMs be done away with once again and elections be conducted using ballot papers. Secondly, the evidence of vote chori wherever it has taken place is being sought, and we are preparing that evidence and will submit it."
"The President listened to us carefully and said that she would investigate the matter thoroughly, speak to the people concerned and decide on the appropriate next steps. We came away feeling satisfied because, for the first time, she has joined her voice with ours and listened to the voice of the people," Kharge added.
Meanwhile, Banerjee said the INDIA bloc remained united after the meeting. "We are together, we are very strong, we represent more than 60 pc of people," she said.
Rahul Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had conspired to destroy Indian democracy. He claimed that the President had neither denied the opposition's allegations nor questioned them, and had asked the delegation to provide evidence of "election chori".
"I have just come out of a rather unbelievable meeting... First, we submitted a memorandum to the President of India. In that memorandum, we clearly stated that the Prime Minister, Amit Shah and Gyanesh Kumar had conspired to destroy Indian democracy," Gandhi said.
"The President did not deny what we said, question our statements or argue against them in any way. She accepted our statements and then told us that we needed to provide her with proof of election chori. I told her that the evidence of election chori is known to the entire country. Elections have been stolen, state after state. The 2024 election, as you know, has been stolen," he added.
Furthermore, the Lok Sabh LoP said that Opposition will provide the evidence when the President was ready to receive it and said he was surprised by her response.
"This same group of people will gladly take the evidence of election chori that we have collected to the President of India when she is ready to accept it. I actually expected the President of India to deny that vote chori was taking place. I expected her to say that India has a free and fair electoral system. I was shocked and stunned that the President of India accepted what we said," Gandhi said.
Gandhi also said the opposition would approach the Supreme Court on Monday to meet the Chief Justice of India and hand over a memorandum.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, NCP(SP)'s Supriya Sule, RJD's Manoj Jha, VCK chief Thol. Thirumavalavan, IUML's ET Mohammed Basheer, CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby and CPI's D Raja were among the other leaders in the delegation that met Murmu.
Prior to the Opposition delegation proceeding to Rashtrapati Bhavan, other INDIA bloc MPs and leaders were stopped at Vijay Chowk by police following their march from Parliament House.
Carrying a large "Save Democracy" banner, the MPs had marched towards Vijay Chowk, where police stopped them and put up barricades.
Earlier, INDIA bloc MPs met in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan to discuss their strategy for continuing the agitation over alleged "vote chori" and pressing for Gyanesh Kumar's removal as Chief Election Commissioner.
Kharge, Gandhi, Congress chief ministers DK Shivakumar of Karnataka and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu of Himachal Pradesh, as well as other INDIA bloc leaders, attended the meeting. They included Banerjee, Sule, Basheer, Baby, Raja, Samajwadi Party's Rajeev Rai and Mohibullah Nadvi, and Independent MPs Kapil Sibal and Pappu Yadav.
'This govt will fall', Rahul tells Opposition MPs
Earlier on Friday, Gandhi told INDIA bloc MPs that the alleged irregularities went beyond the Chief Election Commissioner and required the removal of the current government. He said the government would fall if the opposition continued to press its demands.
Opposition protests had shaken the foundations of the government, which was now scared, Gandhi told INDIA bloc MPs at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan.
"There is a much deeper problem than Gyanesh Kumar and it requires termination of this current government," he said.
Gandhi said the issue was worth fighting and dying for. He also criticised Kumar for refusing to meet elected representatives.
The CEC is only a service provider and he has gall to say he will not meet elected representatives of people, Gandhi said, lashing out at Kumar. "If we continue to push the way we have in last three-four days, I guarantee this government will fall," the former Congress chief said.
Ahead of the meeting, when asked about security arrangements in Delhi ahead of Saturday's protest, Kharge said, "They are scared. 'Aur jo aadmi darta hai vo aaj nahi toh kal marta hai'."
The opposition's campaign intensified after a report by The Indian Express said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections at least 14 times over the previous 10 months, mostly concerning decisions and orders related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Responding to the objections raised by the two commissioners, the Election Commission said differing views and observations were a normal part of deliberations in any institution, adding that all its orders carried full legal sanction and followed established statutory procedures.
Last week, the INDIA bloc finalised a joint action plan on the SIR row, including rallies and "Save Democracy" marches.
On Thursday, INDIA bloc leaders staged a sit-in at Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi's memorial, alleging that Prime Minister Modi, Union Home Minister Shah and the CEC were "hijacking" the country through a criminal conspiracy involving "vote chori".
Thursday marked the third consecutive day of opposition protests against the CEC and alleged vote theft. The leaders vowed to continue their agitation until Kumar resigned.
(With inputs from PTI)
