Opposition takes CEC protest to Supreme Court
Here's the latest protest news from across India:
The Opposition on Monday led thousands of people who flooded central Delhi for three hours in protest against chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, marking one of the largest political mobilisations in recent years that followed two days of police crackdown on agitators.
Adding to this, All INDIA bloc members marched from Barakhamba Road to Supreme Court. (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi led the march from the Constitution Club to Bhagwan Das Road and later walked into the Supreme Court to file a petition demanding an independent, time-bound investigation into decisions allegedly taken unilaterally by Kumar and to suspend the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) pending this inquiry.
Meanwhile, The petition – which named the Election Commission of India, Kumar and two other election commissioners as respondents – was flagged for 14 defects, including a ₹ 220 shortfall in court fees, an illegible photocopy of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s identity card and missing vakalatnamas for nine of the 11 petitioners. The petitioners’ legal team requested that the matter be listed on Thursday.
Notably, “I’d like to thank every single person who came out today for this protest. I’d also like to thank the millions of people who showed support in their own way at 3pm. Thank you to the leaders of INDIA bloc, all the workers of the Congress party and workers of the INDIA bloc,” Gandhi posted on X.
As per the latest buzz, “Today was a very important day because we needed to show the government that the people of India are not going to be intimidated,” he added.
In further updates, All Opposition leaders including Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Tejaswi Yadav and Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary MA Baby met at Constitution Club to finalise the petition. The march from Barakhamba Road to Supreme Court, scheduled at 1.30pm, could not start before 4pm.
On top of that, But thousands of people – commoners and activists alike – started gathering at the Barakhamba Road and Connaught Place intersection in anticipation, shouting slogans and hoisting flags. Several police and security personnel cordoned off the march, erected barricades and diverted traffic.
Two student leaders– Neha Bora of the All India Student Association and former Jawaharlal Nehru University students union president N Sai Balaji – shared the stage with the Opposition brass. A senior Opposition leader shared it was to acknowledge the student stirs.
Source: Hindustan Times