Protest intensifies in Delhi; Opposition MPs join Rahul Gandhi at Rajghat

NEW DELHI: The Opposition’s protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar continued to intensify for the third consecutive day on Thursday. The protest march led by Opposition leaders reached Rajghat, where Rahul Gandhi and other MPs were allowed by the police to offer floral tributes and pray at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial. However, party workers were not allowed to enter the premises. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had earlier announced that the party would hold a peaceful sit-in protest at Rajghat.

The MPs reached Rajghat in three buses after attending a lunch hosted by Kharge at Moti’s restaurant in Connaught Place. Despite a heavy police presence, the protesters were not stopped from reaching the memorial. Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also arrived in Delhi in support of the INDIA bloc. Meanwhile, leaders of the alliance are making efforts to meet President Droupadi Murmu.

The INDIA bloc’s main demand is the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar. The Opposition has alleged that a large number of names were removed from the voter list during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Earlier, police had stopped Opposition protest marches to the Election Commission office and later to Jantar Mantar.