Guwahati: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said he and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi would meet Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant between 4 pm and 5 pm on Monday to present the Opposition’s concerns over alleged electoral irregularities and seek his intervention.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Kharge said both leaders had written to the CJI seeking an appointment. He said they intended to apprise him of the allegations surrounding “vote chori”, while acknowledging that they could request, rather than demand, his intervention.
Kharge also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of creating disorder across the country. Referring to the security deployment and detentions during Saturday’s protests in Delhi, he alleged that the measures reflected the government’s apprehension over the youth-led agitation.
He claimed that roads had been blocked, communication channels disrupted, access to the airport restricted and mobile networks shut down in parts of the national capital. Kharge also claimed that nearly 32,000 police personnel and 7,500 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel had been deployed in Delhi.
The Congress president alleged that the restrictions showed the government was unwilling to allow peaceful democratic protests. He said the Opposition would continue its campaign to defend democracy and constitutional rights.
The proposed meeting comes amid an escalating Opposition campaign demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Election Commission’s functioning and the conduct of elections.
Saturday’s protest, called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), saw extensive security restrictions and detentions across Delhi as demonstrators attempted to reach Jantar Mantar. More than 7,000 people, including Opposition leaders and activists, were detained, according to reports. Restrictions were also imposed on metro and train services, while internet services were suspended in parts of the capital.
Opposition parties have been protesting since Tuesday, accusing the BJP and the Prime Minister of facilitating electoral manipulation, which they describe as “vote chori”.
The INDIA bloc’s campaign began with a march from Parliament to the Election Commission on Tuesday. After the march was stopped en route, Rahul Gandhi staged an eight-hour sit-in at the Akashvani Bhawan complex.
Opposition MPs subsequently met for lunch in central Delhi on Wednesday and Thursday before holding demonstrations at Jantar Mantar and Rajghat, respectively. On Friday evening, INDIA bloc leaders met President Droupadi Murmu and submitted a memorandum seeking her intervention.
The Opposition alliance has also announced a protest march in Delhi on Monday against Kumar over the allegations.
The latest escalation follows a report highlighting differences within the Election Commission. Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi reportedly recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over the preceding 10 months, including on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Last week, INDIA bloc parties finalised a joint action plan on the SIR controversy, including rallies and “save democracy” marches.