Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took a swipe at the BJP, thanking the party and its allies sarcastically for enthusiastically publicising the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally against alleged vote theft.
In a post on X, Gandhi urged the BJP to maintain the same enthusiasm over the next seven days, saying its efforts had helped the opposition’s campaign reach a wider audience.
Accusing the authorities of deleting names from electoral rolls and flouting rules, Gandhi said the opposition would not remain silent over alleged electoral irregularities.
“Names have been struck off the electoral rolls. Rules and laws have been flouted. And those who dared to ask questions were met with batons. Now, the nation will provide an answer,” he said in Hindi.
Calling on students, farmers, labourers, women, youth and traders to join the march, Gandhi said the rally would be held under the slogan ‘Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao’.
The INDIA bloc’s rally is part of a series of opposition protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged poll irregularities involving Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The BJP on Saturday criticised the Congress for scheduling the rally on November 1, alleging that Gandhi was seeking to rub salt into the wounds of victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Addressing a press conference, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad claimed that several INDIA bloc constituents were unconvinced by the Congress’s plan and wanted the event rescheduled.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders will hold a “public impeachment” of CEC Gyanesh Kumar on October 30 and announce a public verdict against him.
Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal described the ‘Dilli Chalo’ march to Ramlila Maidan as the party’s biggest protest against “vote chori”.
(With inputs from PTI)
