New Delhi, Oct. 25 -- Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday appealed to people from different sections of society, including students, farmers, labourers, women, youth, and traders, to join the 'Chalo Dilli' march in Delhi's Ramlila ground on November 1.
Gandhi's call comes as the opposition INDIA bloc sets the stage for a "public impeachment" of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on October 30, followed by the announcement of a public verdict against him.
The event, described as a "mock Parliament", will take place at Hotel Ashok and is expected to bring together opposition MPs and senior leaders from across the bloc.
On November 1, the opposition will take its campaign to the streets with a 'Dilli chalo march'. The bloc has billed the march as its "biggest" mobilisation against alleged "vote chori". The party expects around 10 lakh people to turn up for the protest.
Haryana Congress in-charge Sanjay Dutt and the party's state unit president Rao Narendra Singh said the integrity of electoral rolls, transparency in the electoral process and the protection of every eligible citizen's right to vote were fundamental to the country's democracy.
The INDIA bloc's rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan has been described as the culmination of the 'Delhi Chalo' march against alleged irregularities in
the functioning of the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The Congress said the rally, planned to protest what it calls "vote chori (vote theft)," would send a strong message of unity to protect democracy and the Constitution.
Rahul Gandhi on Sunday gave a sarcastic "heartfelt thank you" to the BJP and its allies for "promoting" the INDIA bloc rally "so enthusiastically" and ensuring its call reaches as many people as possible. Gandhi alleged that people's vote is being stolen. "We will not tolerate this silently under any circumstances," he said. "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," Gandhi said in his post in Hindi on X.
"November 1st - Chalo Delhi. 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao' people's march and mega rally," Gandhi said. "Students, farmers, labourers, women, the youth, and traders - everyone who cares about democracy must join us."
"The vote is yours. The fight is also yours," Gandhi added. "PS: A heartfelt thank you to the BJP and its allies for promoting this event so enthusiastically and ensuring its call reaches as many people as possible."
The BJP had lashed out at the Congress over INDIA bloc's upcoming rally, alleging that Rahul Gandhi is "adamant" on holding the event on November 1 to rub salt to the wounds of the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
At a press conference at the party headquarters here on Saturday, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad claimed many of the INDIA bloc constituents are not convinced by the Congress' plan to hold the rally on November 1 and want the programme to be rescheduled. Congress general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal described the 'Dilli Chalo march' to Ramlila Maidan as the party's biggest against "vote chori".
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.