Bangla Press Desk: Opposition parties are staging another major protest in Delhi today against India's Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is joining this protest on Thursday (October 8), according to NDTV.
Earlier, on Wednesday (October 7), several opposition leaders—including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi—were detained during a protest but were subsequently released. A day later, the opposition 'INDIA' (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc has organized a protest on an even larger scale.
An NDTV report states that opposition parties planned the joint protest following a luncheon meeting hosted by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday. Three air-conditioned buses were arranged to transport the Members of Parliament (MPs).
The buses were proceeding in a coordinated manner, with representation from various parties, but were stopped near the Shangri-La Hotel on Delhi's Ashok Road—a location approximately two kilometers away from Jantar Mantar.
The situation in the national capital then took a dramatic turn. Unable to reach Jantar Mantar, opposition leaders staged a sit-in protest at the spot and raised slogans demanding the CEC's resignation. Several opposition leaders were subsequently detained.
Following the obstruction faced during Wednesday's coordinated attempt to reach Jantar Mantar, leaders of the INDIA bloc announced a larger protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar for Thursday.
Discussions regarding this new protest program took place among the opposition parties on Wednesday itself. Leaders indicated that a greater number of MPs would participate in this round of agitation.
Notably, the primary allegation leveled by the opposition against CEC Gyanesh Kumar is that he is undermining the impartiality and transparency of the Election Commission.
Opposition parties claim that the Commission is conducting a voter list revision process that risks excluding genuine voters. They have expressed particular concern regarding the voter list review in Bihar. The opposition alleges that the Election Commission is not adequately addressing their concerns and that there is a lack of transparency in the entire process; consequently, they are protesting to demand the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
Against this backdrop, the INDIA bloc announced plans for a larger protest on Thursday after several opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, were detained while demonstrating in Delhi on Wednesday.
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