New Delhi [India], October 6 (ANI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday accused the Modi government of trying to “snatch away” the rights granted to citizens after Independence and warned that people would not remain silent if their democratic rights were undermined during the INDIA bloc march against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
Addressing the ongoing INDIA bloc protest march, Kharge said the rights secured for young voters, women, farmers and poor people after Independence were being threatened.
“Rajiv Gandhi ji has given the rights to the young voters, women voters, farmers, poor people who have been given the rights after independence. Today, the Modi government is trying to snatch away those rights,” Kharge said.
Kharge said the country was built through the struggle for freedom and alleged that attempts were now being made to take that freedom away to remain in power.
He said protecting voting rights was essential for safeguarding democracy, the Constitution and the rights of citizens.
“If we have a vote, democracy will be saved. If our democracy is saved, then everyone’s rights will be protected. The Constitution will also be protected,” Kharge said.
He also accused the Election Commission of ignoring objections raised by its own members and alleged that electoral processes had been conducted incorrectly.
“When your nominated members, your people, made a mistake when they spoke, then they made a wrong election and our people today, they have tried to mislead them and come to power,” he said.
Kharge further warned those in power to leave office, saying people would not remain silent.
“That is why we are doing this. First, leave the seat. Otherwise, there will be a commotion in the country. The people of the country will not sit quietly. This is my warning to them,” he said.
“People will do everything, but they are not ready to leave their freedom. The government should be destroyed,” Kharge added.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Rajeev Shukla said Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar would have to resign, claiming that people had lost faith in the Election Commission.
“It is certain that Gyanesh Kumar will have to resign; people have lost faith in the Election Commission,” Shukla said.
Congress MP Syed Nasir Hussain hit out at the CEC, saying, “Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar should go. SIR should be scrapped. All the deleted votes should be put back into the voters’ list. A high-level inquiry should be conducted to find out the forces behind this conspiracy and to be exposed.”
Earlier today, Kharge said the universal adult franchise secured after Independence was being undermined and alleged that the Election Commission was functioning under the government’s direction.
“Look, we are fighting against the injustice of the fact that the government is stripping away everything—all the rights of the people. And today, the universal adult franchise that we received after Independence—this government is working to finish it off,” Kharge said.
He alleged that the CEC was “merely a puppet of the government” and claimed that the poll panel acted according to directions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
“And the Election Commission, the CEC is merely a puppet of the government. Whatever Modi and Shah tell them to do, that is exactly what they do,” he said.
Kharge further alleged that such functioning of institutions would harm democracy and the Constitution.
“Because of this, democracy will be destroyed in this country, the Constitution will be finished, and Hitler-like rule will take over,” he said.
He also alleged that citizens were being pushed into “subjugation” and said the INDIA alliance would continue its campaign against what he described as injustice.
“And through this, the entire citizenry will be pushed into subjugation. The people who achieved freedom are once again being forced into slavery,” Kharge said.
“That is why all of us—the leaders of the INDIA alliance—are fighting, and we will continue to fight. We will achieve our goal, and we will ensure this for all of you,” he added.
This comes as the opposition INDIA bloc on Tuesday hit the streets of the national capital as their protest march towards the Election Commission, raising slogans demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Leaders of several INDIA bloc parties will participate in the march and raise their concerns before the Election Commission (EC). The protest is part of a broader “Save Democracy” campaign announced by the Opposition, under which its leaders have been holding demonstrations and public programmes against the EC.
The march to Nirvachan Sadan is expected to further intensify the political confrontation between the Opposition and the poll panel over electoral roll-related issues. (ANI)