Rahul Gandhi Seeks Wider Opposition Unity, Congress Reaches Out To CJP

Congress sought backing from civil society for protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision process for electoral rolls. On Tuesday, advocate Prashant Bhushan tried to bring the CJP leadership to a meeting of INDIA bloc leaders at Rahul Gandhi’s residence.

The CJP stayed away from the meeting. There was no formal discussion on the outfit, according to The Hindustan Times.

The outreach marked a shift in Congress’s stance. In the past, the party had described the CJP as a “proxy” of the Aam Aadmi Party and said it was not a recognised political outfit but an activist group. Gandhi’s willingness to accommodate the CJP in the meeting changed the perception, the people said. The move also came as Congress leaders pressed civil society and other organisations to join protests against Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise for electoral rolls.

One Protest Message

Rahul Gandhi has sought to fold the CJP’s mobilisation into a broader opposition campaign. On Monday, he blurred the line between opposition protests, student agitations and CJP demonstrations.

“All protests are one protest. There are no parallel protests. We don’t care who you are,” he said. In the same remarks, Gandhi described the CJP’s efforts as “students tried to protest.”

He returned to that line on Wednesday after action against the group’s leaders. Gandhi linked students, youth, journalists and the INDIA bloc to one larger agitation against what he cast as a denial of constitutional rights.

“What crime did they commit? Waving the Tricolour at Jantar Mantar in a peaceful protest is not a crime. Jailing youth for it is an act of cowardice. Students. Youth. Journalists. The INDIA bloc. Different banners, one cause. All protests are one: citizens demanding their constitutional rights. Jantar Mantar belongs to the people of India. We will reclaim it.”

Custody And Condemnation

The trigger was the detention of two CJP leaders. Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to five-day judicial custody over an alleged breach of security at Jantar Mantar.

Before that, the two had been held under preventive arrest. After their detention, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke informed a senior Trinamool Congress leader, a senior opposition leader said.

That contact set off a broader response. The Trinamool leader then coordinated a synchronised condemnation with other opposition leaders, the senior opposition leader said.

Opposition Party Alignments

Congress has not always been comfortable with the CJP. It had remained sceptical about the outfit in the past, which is why Tuesday’s outreach stood out.

Other opposition parties have taken a different line. The Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and Left bloc have kept regular contact with the CJP.

Those parties have also offered the CJP support and coordination.