INDIA Bloc Protest LIVE: Police Deploy Drone, Detain IYC-NSUI Workers Near Akashvani Bhavan

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat have "hijacked" the country with the help of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar by carrying out "vote chori", and asserted that action will be taken against all of them for committing "treason".

Gandhi asserted that nobody is going to escape accountability.

"I am not interested in what the BJP says. I am standing here to protect democracy in the country. Along with me, 300 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs had come and they are also trying to protect democracy," Gandhi said, addressing reporters from inside the Akashwani Bhawan premises where he was in a standoff with the police in a bid to reach the Election Commission office.

"Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Mohan Bhagwat and CEC Gyanesh Kumar have finished off democracy in the country. The whole country believes this, the youth of the country also believe this. The police people who were stopping me are also saying this. The reality is known to everyone," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.

-PTI

Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that through this march, they are "venting their frustration" over their electoral defeats by levelling baseless allegations against the constitutional bodies to malign their image.

"Friends in the opposition, the very system you are questioning is the one under which you won in Kerala. Was that victory illegitimate? You won in Karnataka. Was that victory illegitimate? You won in Himachal. Was that victory illegitimate? Opposition governments were formed in Punjab and Jharkhand; were those victories illegitimate?" the senior BJP leader asked.

Chouhan asserted that accepting defeat is the fundamental spirit of democracy, asking the Congress and its allies to "stop insulting democracy and maligning" democratic institutions.

"If you question constitutional institutions, you will commit the sin of plunging the country into the fires of anarchy. Do not commit the sin of plunging the nation into unrest and anarchy. The country and its people will never forgive you," he added.

-PTI

Rajasthan BJP president Madan Rathore on Tuesday defended the SIR of electoral rolls, saying those opposing it were “taking the wrong path” and creating a false perception about the Election Commission. He said only Indian citizens should have voting rights and questioned the circumstances surrounding Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's inclusion in the electoral roll, alleging she became a voter before acquiring Indian citizenship. A Delhi court last month ordered fresh consideration of a plea seeking an FIR over the allegation; no FIR has been ordered against Gandhi, ANI reported.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said around 300 Opposition MPs wanted to meet Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the other Election Commissioners but were stopped by police during the INDIA bloc's protest march in New Delhi, according to ANI.

Speaking at the protest, Gandhi questioned why elected representatives were being prevented from reaching the Election Commission office, saying it was only about 50 metres away. He accused the CEC of being “scared” to meet the MPs and alleged that the Election Commission had helped the BJP in what he called “vote chori”. Gandhi said the Opposition was protesting to “save democracy” and warned that action would be taken against those he accused of undermining it.

His remarks came after INDIA bloc MPs were stopped by police near the NITI Aayog office while marching from Parliament towards the Election Commission headquarters. The MPs subsequently staged a dharna and several Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Akhilesh Yadav and TMC leaders, were detained.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said he did not join the INDIA bloc MPs' protest march to the Election Commission in Delhi because he is not part of the alliance. “Begani shaadi mein mera kya kaam?” he said. Owaisi also criticised the process for selecting the Chief Election Commissioner, calling it “completely in favour of the executive” and demanding that the law be changed. He suggested that the CEC should instead be selected by a panel comprising the Chief Justice of India, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.

Owaisi also criticised the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, saying he had raised concerns during the Bihar exercise as well. “This SIR is wrong,” he said, adding that he believed SIR was “an NRC through the backdoor”.

BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan criticised the INDIA bloc's protest, saying the opposition had no “moral responsibility” to conduct such agitations. She said alleged bogus votes had been removed and argued that those questioning the Election Commission should first look at their own political alliances.

“Those who cannot get the verdict of the people are agitating,” Soundararajan said, according to the statement shared by the BJP leader. She also questioned the demand for resignations and said the Congress government in Kerala and the TVK should resign if the opposition was asking others to step down.

Soundararajan also warned the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) against joining hands with the Congress. She alleged that the Congress had “backstabbed” the DMK and warned that the party could similarly deceive the TVK.

Police and security personnel were deployed in large numbers around Akashvani Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday as the INDIA bloc protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar continued. A drone was also deployed in the area to monitor the situation, where several Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) workers had gathered.

Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) are in force in the area. Police detained IYC and NSUI workers who had gathered outside Akashvani Bhavan amid heightened security around the protest site.

CPI MP P. Sandosh Kumar said the Opposition MPs were prevented from moving forward towards the Election Commission headquarters amid heavy security deployment in central Delhi. He said CRPF, Rapid Action Force (RAF) and other security personnel were deployed to stop the protesters.

“We were refrained from moving forward from the very beginning. There was a huge deployment of security personnel, CRPF, RAF, and other forces,” Sandosh Kumar said.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said more than 300 Opposition MPs marched from Parliament to the Election Commission on Tuesday to meet the Election Commissioners.

In a post on X, Gandhi questioned why the Election Commissioners were not meeting the Opposition leaders and alleged that police were stopping and threatening them.

Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) workers gathered outside Akashvani Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday during protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Several protesters were detained by police as security was tightened in the area. Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) remain in force in parts of central Delhi amid the demonstrations.

A police official asked Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) workers gathered outside Akashvani Bhavan to vacate the area, saying prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) are in force. The official said any assembly in the area is illegal and warned that those who do not comply will be detained.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday dismissed the Karnataka Congress' allegations against the BJP over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as “bogus”, defending the process for filing Form 7 objections.

“It's all bogus because they are filing the FIR despite they do not have any power to register the FIR because anybody can give Form 7. Ultimately it is up to the election commission, ERO, who is the state government employee. He can decide it. But with revenge attitude they are all doing this. We strongly condemn that and there is a hope, there is a court and we have confidence that will be quashed. I am very confident on that,” Joshi said.

BJP national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi questioned the Congress over the INDIA bloc's protest march to the Election Commission, asking who the party wanted to benefit by giving voting rights to “absent, shifted, dead and duplicate voters” without investigation, according to ANI.

“I would like to clearly ask Congress. Who do they want to benefit by giving voting rights to the absent, shifted, dead and duplicate voters without any investigation? Does the Congress want to benefit someone by doing this?” Trivedi said.

CEC row LIVE: During INDIA bloc protest against CEC, Samajwadi Party MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barq says, “ Votes are being looted, democracy is being killed; we demand the resignation of CEC. The country should get justice. Today, we have marched from Parliament, but this could take the shape of a movement, and the whole country will come out on the roads,” reported ANI.

The legal route is clear. Under Section 11(1) of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, the CEC submits their resignation in writing directly to the President of India.

There is no automatic deputy CEC or automatic acting CEC under the Constitution or the 2023 law, unlike the offices of President or Governors.

Form 6 is the prescribed application through which an eligible Indian citizen seeks inclusion in the electoral roll as a new voter. It is available to citizens who have attained, or will attain, 18 years of age on one of the four qualifying dates — January 1, April 1, July 1 or October 1 — provided they are ordinarily resident in the constituency and are not otherwise disqualified.

The form seeks details such as the applicant’s name, date of birth, address and other information required for voter enrolment. It is prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra remained seated near the Akashvani Bhavan after being briefly detained during the INDIA bloc MPs’ march from Parliament to the Election Commission.

The Congress leaders along with other MPs were earlier stopped by security personnel on Parliament Street near Niti Aayog office. After being prevented from proceeding further, they sat on the road in protest. Soon Rahul Gandhi and TMC's Abhisekh Banerjee climbed atop a police barricade, while Priyanka Gandhi was taken to an awaiting bus for being detained.

However, she was soon seen alighting from it and joined her brother at the Akashvani gate, according to PTI.

Despite being prevented by police, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Deepinder Hooda entered the Akashvani Bhawan premises from the reception gate. They were later seen sitting under a tree, PTI reported.