Rahul Gandhi on Friday said he was “shocked” that President Droupadi Murmu did not dismiss the Opposition's allegations of “vote chori” when an INDIA bloc delegation met her at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Gandhi said Murmu asked the delegation to provide evidence to support its claims of electoral irregularities, NDTV reported.
“We have all the proof of how elections were stolen. The entire country has seen it,” Gandhi told reporters after the meeting, reiterating the Opposition's allegations against the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The Congress leader also announced that Opposition leaders would approach the Supreme Court on Monday to meet the Chief Justice of India and submit a memorandum outlining their concerns over the functioning of the Election Commission.
What did the INDIA bloc demand?
The meeting followed a march by Opposition MPs and leaders from Parliament towards Rashtrapati Bhavan. They were demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the electoral process, particularly the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
A 10-member delegation, including Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, met Murmu. Other Opposition MPs staged a sit-in at Kartavya Path, carrying placards targeting the CEC and accusing the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP-led government.
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In their memorandum to the President, the Opposition leaders sought Gyanesh Kumar's removal as Chief Election Commissioner and demanded the repeal of the 2023 law granting legal immunity to the CEC and other Election Commissioners. They also called for an immediate halt to the SIR exercise and the restoration of 13.3 crore voters allegedly removed from electoral rolls.
The bloc further demanded a return to paper ballots and called for Assembly elections held over the past two years to be annulled in constituencies where it claimed to have conclusive evidence of electoral malpractice.
The march followed a meeting of around 150 INDIA bloc MPs and other leaders in Parliament's Central Hall. Representatives of 16 parties signed the memorandum, expressing concerns over the Election Commission's functioning.
Speaking before the march, Congress leaders said their campaign was aimed at protecting democratic institutions. Gandhi also cited Jawaharlal Nehru's August 14, 1947, address to the Constituent Assembly, recalling his words about India's newly won freedom and the hope it represented.
BJP rejects Opposition's allegations
Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha accused Gyanesh Kumar of protecting a system that the Opposition considers compromised.
The BJP rejected the allegations, accusing the Congress of politicising constitutional institutions. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said the party was making misleading claims to create confusion and gain political mileage.
BJP president JP Nadda also criticised the INDIA bloc, arguing that its repeated electoral defeats reflected declining public support. Citing recent bypoll results, Nadda said the outcomes showed continued confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and the NDA's governance agenda.
Jantar Mantar protest triggers curbs
The political confrontation comes ahead of a protest planned at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, October 10, by the youth group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The group had previously campaigned against alleged examination paper leaks, a controversy that led to the education minister's resignation in July.
Authorities have deployed additional security personnel and announced restrictions ahead of the demonstration. These include a temporary internet shutdown within a four-kilometre radius of Jantar Mantar from 10 pm on Friday.
Kharge accused the government of acting out of fear, pointing to the closure of metro stations and the cancellation of train services linked to the planned protest.
“The mistakes committed by Gyanesh Kumar have created a situation of fear in the country and put democracy in danger. That is why we are going to meet the President and apprise her of the things he has done,” Kharge said.
The INDIA bloc's proposed meeting with the Chief Justice of India is expected to be its next step in pressing its allegations against the Election Commission. The BJP, meanwhile, maintains that the Opposition's campaign is politically motivated.
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