A large opposition rally took place at Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi, organized by the INDIA alliance and led by the Congress party under Rahul Gandhi. The gathering brought together senior party figures including Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, along with prominent opposition leaders from various parties including Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, and others. Attendees traveled from across neighboring states to participate in the demonstration.
The rally centered on opposition demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision exercise, which removed 130 million names from draft electoral rolls. While the Election Commission of India states the exercise is designed to update rolls by removing deceased individuals, those with changed addresses, and other ineligible voters, opposition parties contend the process could disenfranchise eligible voters and benefit the governing BJP. Opposition leaders accused Kumar and the BJP of “vote theft” and electoral manipulation, charges both the BJP and the Election Commission denied. The controversy intensified in September when media investigations reported that Kumar had made key decisions despite objections from fellow election commissioners.
Protestors chanted slogans defending voting rights and democracy, with many expressing concerns that Indian democratic principles were threatened. Participants included development professionals, retired teachers, lawyers, and activists from various backgrounds. A previous symbolic impeachment proceeding was staged at Congress headquarters, where opposition leaders accused Kumar of conspiring to steal elections, though such proceedings have no legal standing under Indian law.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not directly address the mock impeachment but accused certain groups of creating chaos to defame him and charged opposition parties with abandoning constitutional duties. The rally operated under police-imposed conditions including an early end time and restrictions on marches outside the designated site. The demonstration came amid broader public discourse about electoral integrity and democratic processes in the country.
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