HighLights
  1. INDIA bloc MPs gathered at Parliament Central Hall.
  2. Scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu.
  3. Raising concerns about Election Commission's functioning.

Anti-CEC Protests Updates: INDIA bloc MPs on Friday gathered at the Central Hall of Parliament ahead of their planned meeting with President Draupadi Murmu to submit a memorandum demanding Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The opposition delegation includes Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, TMC Chairperson Mamata Banerjee, CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and several other opposition MPs.

ALSO READ: Delhi: Mobile Internet Services Suspended In New Delhi Area Till Tomorrow Ahead Of CJP Protest At Jantar Mantar

Here Are The Key Updates:

- Opposition leaders left from Rashtrapati Bhavan after meeting President Droupadi Murmu. The leaders met the President to raise their concerns regarding the functioning of the Election Commission of India and to demand the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. 

- TMC MP Derek O'Brien after the Central Hall meeting said a memorandum was circulated among all the parties in the meeting. "The final memorandum was ready at around 7:30, and everyone had agreed to it. It is a two-page memorandum. We needed the signatures of Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, MA Baby, Omar Abdullah, and others. Since we had taken a printout, we needed their signatures. There were 10 names listed, and I had the memorandum with me," he said.

- INDIA bloc MPs held a protest at Vijay Chowk against CEC Gyanesh Kumar as 10 Opposition MPs headed to meet President Murmu.

 

- Former West Bengal CM and TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee has also joined the INDIA Bloc MPs in their protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar. Mamata is on her way to meet President Murmu to submit a memorandum, demanding the CEC's resignation.

- Opposition MPs, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, MA Baby and several other leaders are on their way to meet President Draupadi Murmu.

- Union Home Minister Amit Shah slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA bloc, saying they are spreading lies to mislead people. He said, "Despite the lies, confusion, and malicious propaganda of Rahul Gandhi and the INDI Alliance, the BJP is winning one election after another under the leadership of PM Modi. The victories of the NDA in the by-elections of West Bengal, Assam, and Puducherry, as well as the recent municipal elections in Rajasthan and Tripura, indicate that the people have completely rejected the INDI Alliance. Having lost their public base, these parties question institutions after every defeat, but the people have recognised this character of theirs. That is why, once again, they have expressed their unwavering faith in the BJP by giving it a resounding mandate."

- Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah arrived at the Parliament to attend the meeting.

- Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, while addressing the gathering at the historic Central Hall, said, "Jawaharlal Nehru gave a very famous speech. It was given from the Central Hall of Parliament on 14 August 1947. I want to quote a little bit from it. It is a fateful moment for us in India, for all Asia and for the world. A new star rises, the star of freedom in the East, a new hope comes into being, a vision long cherished materializes. May the star never set and that hope never be betrayed."

ALSO READ: CEC Gyanesh Kumar's Removal Could Be CJP's Toughest Battle Yet; Complex Impeachment Process Explained

The MPs have been protesting in the national capital demanding Kumar's resignation for the last three days. Opposition leaders had sent a request on October 2 for an appointment with the President.

Subsequently, the Rashtrapati Bhavan asked for the names of leaders who would attend the meeting. Last week, the INDIA bloc finalised a joint action plan on the SIR row, including holding rallies and "save democracy" marches.

Intensifying their protest, the INDIA bloc leaders on Thursday staged a sit-in at Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi's memorial, to highlight what they alleged was "hijacking" of the country by the CEC through a criminal conspiracy of "vote chori."

The opposition's aggressive push comes days after a report by The Indian Express said election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected on record at least 14 times over the last 10 months, mostly to decisions and orders related to the SIR. Under fire, the Election Commission asserted that differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberations in any institution and that all its orders carry full legal sanction and follow established statutory procedures.


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