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The decision to hold the protest followed a meeting of Opposition parties chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi. The Opposition has been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over its concerns regarding the SIR exercise and alleged irregularities in electoral rolls.
Addressing reporters, Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition had decided to shift its protest to Jantar Mantar after being told that demonstrations could not be held at the earlier venue.
“Yesterday, they said we cannot protest there, so we are taking the protest to Jantar Mantar,” Gandhi said, adding that he would continue to demand the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar. He also said he was not concerned about the possibility of multiple FIRs being registered against him.
TMC MP Derek O’Brien said the Opposition parties were united in their campaign. “We are all here together; we are all here united, and we are all here without any egos. We will fight the giant till they are out,” he said.
The Opposition meeting also focused on preparing a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner seeking an urgent meeting with Opposition leaders on issues related to the SIR exercise. Several INDIA bloc MPs attended the meeting hosted by Kharge in the national capital.
RJD MP Manoj Jha, speaking ahead of the meeting, said there would be lunch and possibly a “launch,” in apparent reference to the planned protest.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said the events of the previous day, including Rahul Gandhi’s detention, had strengthened the Opposition’s campaign. Congress MP Deepender Hooda also said the Opposition would not be intimidated by FIRs.
“Are we going to be scared of an FIR?” Hooda said, asserting that the Opposition’s fight over democracy and the Constitution would continue.
The Opposition’s latest move comes after a day-long protest on Tuesday, when INDIA bloc leaders and MPs attempted to march towards the Election Commission headquarters, demanding action over their concerns regarding the SIR process and calling for the CEC’s resignation. The march was stopped by police, following which Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other leaders staged a prolonged sit-in at Akashvani Bhavan. They were later detained by Delhi Police and subsequently released.
The protests have intensified amid a wider political confrontation between the Opposition and the Election Commission over the revision of electoral rolls. The Election Commission has maintained that the SIR process is part of its electoral-roll revision exercise, while Opposition parties have raised concerns about its implementation.
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also staged a sep
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