INDIA Bloc Demands Chief Election Commissioner's Resignation at Delhi Rally

Opposition leaders from the INDIA bloc gathered at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on Sunday to protest the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and RJD Working President Tejashwi Yadav accused Kumar of acting as a puppet for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to snatch votes from Dalits, women, and youth. Rahul Gandhi asserted that Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah would face legal action for what he termed vote chori, while Yadav called for Kumar to be tried for treason.

Regional leaders Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti joined the protest, with Mufti citing the 2019 constitutional changes in Jammu and Kashmir as a precursor to the current erosion of democratic rights nationwide. Abdullah criticized the BJP and RSS for questioning the patriotism of Muslims, emphasizing that all citizens possess an equal right to vote under the Constitution.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah responded by accusing the opposition of pursuing a politics of obstruction and negativity. He ridiculed Rahul Gandhi's political ambitions and criticized the rally's timing, claiming it ignored the needs of Delhi traders before Diwali. During his counter-offensive, Shah also announced a government commitment to make India, including Punjab, drug-free by December 31, 2029.