NEW DELHI, Oct 10: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Saturday accused the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre of attempting to curb citizens’ right to dissent, alleging that it had already taken away their right to vote.
“After snatching the right to vote, the Modi-Shah government in Delhi seems determined to steal the right to dissent of the Indian citizen. Time has come to remove this government from power,” Gogoi wrote on X.
His remarks came amid the INDIA bloc’s ongoing protests over allegations of “vote chori” and its demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The opposition bloc has announced a protest march in Delhi on Monday, October 12, against the chief election commissioner. A delegation of senior opposition leaders will also submit a memorandum to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, seeking his intervention.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said Congress leaders, INDIA bloc members and youth would take to the streets again to raise concerns about electoral integrity and the state of democracy.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said the protest would bring together INDIA bloc MPs, leaders, party workers and citizens concerned about democracy. He reiterated the demand for Kumar’s resignation and said the opposition would not back down.
The announcement followed a meeting between INDIA bloc leaders and President Droupadi Murmu, during which they raised allegations of “vote chori”, demanded the chief election commissioner’s resignation and sought the repeal of all Assembly elections held over the past two years.
Opposition protests have been continuing since Tuesday, when leaders attempted to march from Parliament to the Election Commission’s office but were stopped en route. Gandhi later staged a sit-in at the Akashvani Bhawan complex. On Wednesday and Thursday, opposition MPs held further demonstrations in central Delhi, including marches to Jantar Mantar and Rajghat.
The protests also followed a report by an English daily highlighting differences within the Election Commission, including objections reportedly recorded by election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi on several matters over the past 10 months, including the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Last week, the INDIA bloc finalised a joint action plan on electoral roll revision, including rallies and “save democracy” marches.
