Last week, the INDIA bloc finalised a joint action plan to intensify its campaign against the SIR, including rallies and ‘Save Democracy’ marches. On Thursday, INDIA bloc leaders staged a sit-in at Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial in New Delhi, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and the chief election commissioner of ‘hijacking’ the country through a criminal conspiracy involving alleged ‘vote chori’.
It was the third consecutive day of protests by Opposition leaders against the CEC and alleged electoral fraud. The leaders vowed to continue their agitation until Kumar resigned.
After two days of intense demonstrations, during which several Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, were detained and forcibly removed by the police, the protesters assembled at Rajghat on Thursday to offer floral tributes and pray for “wisdom to the BJP government and the chief election commissioner”.
The opposition’s latest push comes days after The Indian Express reported that election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over the preceding 10 months, largely concerning decisions and orders related to the SIR.
Facing scrutiny, the Election Commission maintained that differences of opinion and observations were normal in the deliberations of any institution. It asserted that all its orders had full legal sanction and complied with established statutory procedures.
With PTI inputs
