Congress announces nationwide agitation against SIR, CEC; to reach out to 13.3 crore deleted voters

NEW DELHI, OCT 5 (PTI): Congress on Monday announced a sustained nationwide agitation against the SIR exercise and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, including a programme under which its workers, called “vote rakshaks”, will reach out to the more than 13.3 crore people whose names have been struck off the voters’ list.
The announcement for a “Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao” campaign was made after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge chaired a meeting of party general secretaries, in-charges and state unit chiefs at the Indira Bhawan here.
Briefing reporters on the meeting, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said all INDIA bloc MPs will peacefully march from Makar Dwar of Parliament House to the EC office on Tuesday morning. From October 2 to October 8, the parties in the opposition bloc will have district-level meetings and marches against “vote chori”, pressing for the demand of Kumar’s removal, he said.
From October 10 to October 20, Congress in particular, would carry out these marches and meetings as part of the campaign.
“Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao, CEC hatao” rallies will be organised at the state and district levels from October 25 to November 25, Ramesh said. Also, chaupals will be organised at the village level. A “mega INDIA bloc” rally would be held in Delhi on November 1. “We invite all opposition parties to join it,” Ramesh said.
“From November 25-26, we will have six yatras from places close to Delhi. It is a ‘Chalo Delhi’ programme. The yatras will culminate in a demonstration in the national capital,” he said.
AAP won’t take part in INDIA bloc protest: AAP on Monday said it will not be part of INDIA bloc’s October 6 protest over the raging SIR row outside the Election Commission headquarters, as the party is fighting its own battle continuously.
AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said the protest against the alleged irregularities in the SIR of the electoral rolls is being held every day at different places. He said the party is not even using its banner because it believes that this is a people’s movement and an issue concerning the people of the country, and that everyone should participate in it.
CJP says Oct 10 protest ‘call of youth’: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday sought to play down its recent sparring with sections of the Congress, welcoming the INDIA bloc’s proposed protest on Tuesday and saying its own October 10 mobilisation should be seen as a broader call by the youth rather than that of a particular organisation.
CJP co-convener Saurav Das said everyone — political parties, student organisations, activists and common people– should assert their rights through peaceful protests.
“We welcome all peaceful protests. Everyone should make efforts, be it INDIA bloc or other student organisations or activists, or common people. Everyone needs to assert their rights,” Das told a press conference, referring to the INDIA bloc’s planned protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday.