Rahul Gandhi said the INDIA bloc will hold a rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1 to protest the demolition of Indian democracy. He accused Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and the Election Commission of stopping people from attending. Gandhi said, "We have decided to postpone the impeachment programme" due to rain.
Rahul says rally will defend the "idea of India" and people's right to vote; VCK announces participation from five southern states.
The INDIA bloc will hold a rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1, with Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleging that the proposed impeachment proceedings against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar are aimed at highlighting the "demolition of Indian democracy" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Election Commission.
Gandhi on Friday said the opposition bloc had decided to postpone its planned symbolic 'public impeachment' programme against Kumar due to rain in the national capital, citing concerns over senior leaders having to sit in the rain.
"We have decided to postpone the impeachment programme. We felt it would be uncomfortable for our senior leaders to sit in the rain," Gandhi told reporters.
He said the INDIA bloc would instead hold a rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1 and invited people from political and non-political organisations, civil society groups, journalists and social service organisations to participate.
"The day after, we have a march to Ramlila Maidan. All the opposition, everybody who wants to come: political, non-political, social, service people, civil society people, journalists. Both the programmes are about the demolition of Indian democracy by Narendra Modi, by Amit Shah, by Gyanesh Kumar and his crew in the Election Commission," he said.
The Congress leader also alleged that the Union Home Minister was trying to prevent people from various states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Telangana and Punjab, from reaching Delhi to attend the rally.
"The Home Minister is trying his best to stop people from coming into Delhi, trying to ensure that our party members, common people who want to come from UP, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Telangana, Punjab, are being stopped. And they're trying their best," Gandhi said.
He asserted that the INDIA bloc was defending the "idea of India" and people's right to vote.
Meanwhile, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol Thirumavalavan extended support to the November 1 rally and said party workers from five southern states would participate.
The opposition bloc had initially planned to hold the symbolic 'public impeachment' programme at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday. The event was organised as a protest against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Congress and other opposition parties have accused the Election Commission of undermining electoral democracy and have demanded Kumar's resignation.