Rain Delays INDI Bloc's Public Impeachment Programme Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar; Rahul Gandhi Announces New Date

Rahul Gandhi postpones INDIA bloc's public impeachment programme against CEC Gyanesh Kumar to Saturday due to rain, confirms November 1 Ramlila Maidan rally.

New Delhi: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday announced that the INDI bloc's proposed public impeachment programme against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar had been postponed to Saturday due to rain, with the event to be held at the same time.

Speaking to reporters in the national capital, Rahul Gandhi said the decision was taken by consensus, keeping in mind the discomfort senior leaders could face while sitting in the rain.

"By consensus, we have decided to postpone today's program (public impeachment programme against CEC) to tomorrow at the same time because of rain. We felt that it would be uncomfortable for seniors to sit in the rain, and we will hold the same program tomorrow," he said.

Rahul Gandhi further said the rally, scheduled for the day after, would bring together people from different walks of life and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of being responsible for what he described as the "demolition of Indian democracy".

"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 programs 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.

He further alleged that the Home Minister was attempting to stop people from travelling to 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..." Rahul Gandhi said.

Rahul Gandhi further said that the response to the INDIA bloc's November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan would reflect the public sentiment, alleging that people were facing anger and emotional distress over what he described as the disenfranchisement of millions and theft of their votes.

He accused the BJP leadership and industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani of benefiting from the alleged electoral irregularities. Calling it a united protest rather than multiple separate demonstrations, he said the entire Opposition was standing together and invited anyone willing to protest to join the march. He added that the Opposition was seeking to defend the Constitution, the idea of India and citizens' right to vote.

The programme was scheduled to take place at 3.30 pm on Friday at 10, Rajaji Marg, the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

Ahead of the event, INDIA bloc leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, party leader Pawan Khera, General Secretary KC Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh, had started arriving at Kharge's residence for a meeting.