Kharge, Rahul Gandhi seek CJI meeting over 'vote chori' as INDIA bloc plans fresh Delhi protest

Congress president accuses the Modi government of creating an 'undeclared emergency' after more than 7,000 people are detained during Saturday's demonstration

The Congress has escalated its campaign against the Election Commission, with party president Mallikarjun Kharge accusing the Narendra Modi government of creating an "undeclared emergency" and seeking judicial intervention over allegations of electoral malpractice.

Kharge said on Sunday that he and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had requested a meeting with Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant between 4 pm and 5 pm on Monday to apprise him of their concerns over "vote chori".

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Kharge said both leaders had written to the Chief Justice and would request his intervention.

"We have sought a time between 4 and 5 pm. We will also apprise him, as we cannot demand. Only with folded hands, we can request him," he said.

Kharge accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of creating chaos across the country. He cited the heavy security deployment and detentions during Saturday's protest in Delhi as evidence, according to him, of the government's apprehension over youth-led agitation.

"Yesterday, nearly 32,000 police personnel and 7,500 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were deployed. This itself shows how much fear the government has of the youth agitation," he said.

Kharge alleged that roads were blocked, communication channels disrupted, access to the airport restricted and mobile networks shut down as authorities tried to stop demonstrators from reaching Jantar Mantar.

Kharge also questioned the Election Commission's independence, alleging that two of its members had openly flagged irregularities in the functioning of the poll panel but no action had followed.

"The Election Commission is an independent institution with the authority to make decisions independently. However, it is not allowed to make decisions independently," he said.

"We will continue our fight to protect democracy and the constitutional rights of the people," he said. Kharge also posted a video of his remarks on X.

Saturday's demonstration was called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. More than 7,000 people, including opposition leaders and activists, were detained, according to the supplied report. Restrictions on metro and train services and internet suspensions in parts of Delhi were also reported.

Opposition parties have accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the prime minister of electoral manipulation, using the phrase "vote chori". The controversy centres in part on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc began its latest round of demonstrations on Tuesday, when opposition MPs marched from Parliament towards the Election Commission but were stopped. Rahul Gandhi then staged an eight-hour sit-in inside the Akashvani Bhawan complex.

Opposition MPs met for lunch in central Delhi on Wednesday and Thursday before marching to Jantar Mantar and Rajghat, respectively. On Friday evening, INDIA bloc leaders met President Droupadi Murmu and submitted a memorandum seeking her intervention.

The opposition has announced another protest march in Delhi on Monday over the "vote chori" issue.

The campaign has also intensified amid reports of differences within the Election Commission over electoral roll revisions. Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi reportedly recorded objections at least 14 times over the previous 10 months, including on the SIR exercise.

Kharge also questioned the legal protection granted to the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners under a 2023 law, alleging that it shielded them from accountability for decisions related to electoral processes.

He alleged that the protection was being used to enable electoral malpractice and questioned why election commissioners had been granted such immunity. These were Kharge's allegations; the PTI report does not include a response from the government or the Election Commission.

Last week, INDIA bloc parties finalised a joint action plan on the electoral roll controversy, including rallies and "save democracy" marches.