- Rahul Gandhi climbed barricade, waved Tricolour at EC protest.
- INDIA Bloc marched to EC over poll rigging allegations.
- Gandhi accused BJP, CEC of hijacking India's democracy.
ECI-SIR Row: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, upon being stopped while marching towards the Election Commission office, climbed atop a police barricade and waved the Tricolour. The opposition parties, led by the senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, marched towards the poll body's office amid the poll rigging allegations. The senior Congress leaders also entered the Akashwani Bhawan, just 100 metres from the EC office, and staged a sit-in there.
INDIA Bloc's March To EC Office
Earlier during the INDIA Bloc's march, the leader of the opposition was seen arguing with the officials upon being asked to stop. He later climbed atop the police barricade after the officials did not allow the leaders to proceed despite multiple efforts. While talking to the reporters, Gandhi stated that 300 MPs were not allowed to meet Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar today.
Will Destroy Them: RaGa
He further alleged that the top brass of BJP, along with the CEC, has hijacked the democracy, adding that today's march was to save the democratic values of the country. "We are not only countering them, we are going to destroy them. I have no interest in what BJP says. I am standing here to save the democracy of India. A few hours ago, 300 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs came here with me. They too are trying to save democracy in the country," Gandhi was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
"Amit Shah, Narendra Modi, Mohan Bhagwat and Gyanesh Kumar... these people have destroyed the country's democratic system. The entire country believes this. The youth of the country believe and understand this. Even the policemen who were stopping me here just now were saying the same thing... The country has been hijacked by Narendra Modi through vote theft. Amit Shah has hijacked it. Mohan Bhagwat has hijacked it, and Gyanesh Kumar has helped them," the senior Congress leader asserted.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar Faces Heat
A fresh row after an Indian Express report stated that the objections raised by two Election Commissioners were ignored during the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls.