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INDIA bloc finalises joint action plan against SIR, including ‘save democracy’ marches, rallies and 6 October march to ECI.
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Rahul Gandhi says Opposition leaders are “collective defenders” of Constitution.
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Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge says all parties agree that elections should return to ballot papers, Mamata Banerjee demands Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
The INDIA bloc on Wednesday, 30 September announced a coordinated political campaign against the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with rallies, ‘save democracy’ marches and a march to the ECI among a series of planned actions.
The Opposition alliance also renewed its demand for a return to ballot papers, while Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah and chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of attacking India’s democratic system.
The decisions were taken at a three-and-a-half-hour meeting attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Mamata-AITC chief Mamata Banerjee, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, Shiv Sena (UBT), CPI(M), CPI, J&K Peoples Democratic Party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, CPI-ML, IUML and several other opposition parties. Independent Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal also attended.
