NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 11: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said he and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi have scheduled a meeting with Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant between 4 pm and 5 pm on Monday to apprise him of the opposition’s concerns over alleged “vote chori”.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Kharge said both leaders had written letters to the CJI seeking an opportunity to present their concerns. He clarified that they intended to request the Chief Justice’s intervention rather than make any demands.
“We have sought a time between 4 and 5 pm. We will also apprise him, as we cannot demand. Only with folded hands, we can request him,” Kharge said.
In a post on X, the Congress president reiterated that he and Rahul Gandhi would meet the CJI on Monday to brief him on the situation.
Kharge also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing them of creating chaos across the country. Referring to the police deployment and detentions during Saturday’s protests in Delhi, he alleged that the government was apprehensive about the youth agitation.
He claimed that roads were blocked, communication channels disrupted, access to the airport restricted and mobile networks shut down during the security measures. Kharge also cited figures of around 32,000 police personnel and 7,500 CRPF personnel allegedly deployed in the national capital.
The Congress chief accused the government of undermining peaceful democratic participation and said his party would continue its struggle to protect democracy and the constitutional rights of citizens.
The protests have been organised by opposition parties demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of electoral irregularities and “vote theft”. The government and the Election Commission’s position on the allegations was not included in the statements cited by Kharge.
On Saturday, protests in Delhi witnessed widespread detentions, including those of opposition leaders and activists. Restrictions were also imposed on movement and public transport in parts of the capital as authorities sought to prevent protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar.
Opposition parties have been holding demonstrations since Tuesday. INDIA bloc MPs first marched from Parliament towards the Election Commission but were stopped en route, following which Rahul Gandhi staged an eight-hour sit-in at the Akashvani Bhawan complex.
The opposition subsequently organised gatherings and marches towards Jantar Mantar and Rajghat. On Friday evening, INDIA bloc leaders also met President Droupadi Murmu and submitted a memorandum seeking her intervention.
The INDIA bloc has announced another protest march in Delhi on Monday over the “vote chori” issue and its demand for Kumar’s resignation.
The opposition’s campaign has intensified following a report highlighting differences within the Election Commission. According to the report, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded objections at least 14 times over the past 10 months, including on matters related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Last week, INDIA bloc parties finalised a joint action plan on the SIR issue, which includes rallies and “Save Democracy” marches.
