‘This is Lord Shiva’s tandav’: Rahul Gandhi says anti-CEC movement has no fixed plan
The Congress leader questioned restrictions on travel to Delhi, cited his meeting with the president and said the Opposition would submit evidence of alleged voter-roll irregularities to the Supreme Court.
· Zee NewsNew Delhi: Rahul Gandhi has described the INDIA bloc’s protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as “Lord Shiva’s tandav”, saying the agitation will continue to take different forms as the Opposition presses its allegations of electoral irregularities.
He said the movement did not depend on a fixed programme and would adapt to police restrictions. He cited the earlier protest near Akashvani Bhavan, where Opposition leaders had planned to travel by bus, sit at a location and get arrested. The police did not allow them to proceed as planned, prompting them to change their course of action.
“My sister tells me that we should make a plan. So I told my sister, ‘You are not understanding the point. This is Tandav. This is Lord Shiva’s dance. There is no planning in this. Today, we are going to the Supreme Court; tomorrow it will be something else,’” he told the media at the All India Congress Committee headquarters, ahead of a planned march to the Supreme Court, where Opposition leaders want to submit a petition over the functioning of the Election Commission (EC).
He added that people from different backgrounds could join the agitation. “There is no need for any plan. This dance is ongoing. This is Lord Shiva’s dance going on. In this, anyone can join Shiva's procession (Shiv ki Baraat). Anyone who wants to join, can come,” he said.
‘PM Modi is protecting Gyanesh Kumar’
Rahul accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of protecting the CEC and said the Opposition wanted to bring its allegations before the public through the march. The INDIA bloc has demanded Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in voter rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
“We want this, and the government is making a big mistake because we want to show the country that the government, PM Narendra Modi, is protecting Gyanesh Kumar,” he said.
He described the agitation as a public movement in Delhi that had gathered pace over the previous four to five days. He said that the ongoing protests were part of a resistance against the government that had been going on for the past 10 to 13 years.
ALSO READ: CJP gives Delhi Police 24-hour ultimatum to allot date for Jantar Mantar protest
“The question is: Why is Delhi jailed?” he asked, criticising the restrictions imposed in the national capital during the protests.
The leader of Opposition also alleged that people were being stopped from travelling to Delhi and that police had deployed between 20,000 and 30,000 personnel across the city. He claimed that trains and buses were being stopped and passengers were being asked to get off.
“The question is, why is Delhi, the capital city of India, under siege? People are being stopped from reaching Delhi. Trains and buses are being stopped, and people are being asked to get off. Delhi has been turned into a fortress, with police deployed everywhere,” he said.
‘President asked for proof’
The Congress leader also returned to the Opposition’s meeting with President Droupadi Murmu on October 9. He said that she had asked the delegation to provide evidence for its allegations of “vote chori” (vote theft).
He claimed that the subsequent denial of his statements came from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) rather than the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
“We went to the president of India. The president of India herself said, ‘Give me the proof.’ We are going to take the proof,” Rahul said.
“There was no denial from the president of India's office. The denial was quietly made by the Prime Minister's Office,” he added.
ALSO READ: Delhi’s Jantar Mantar no longer designated protest site, 3 new grounds named
The Opposition delegation had submitted a memorandum seeking action over alleged electoral irregularities and demanding Kumar’s resignation. These allegations have been made by the Opposition and have not been established as findings of electoral wrongdoing.
Rahul said he and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had written to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant seeking a meeting to discuss their allegations. The CJI declined their request, saying the leaders could pursue the matter through a petition before the court.
The INDIA bloc planned to march towards the Supreme Court on Monday and file a petition.
Six metro stations closed ahead of march
Rahul urged people from all political parties to join the “Chalo Dilli – March for Democracy” protest, which began at 1.30 pm near Barakhamba Road in Connaught Place. He also called on those unable to attend to show their support when the delegation reached the top court.
Security has been tightened across Central Delhi in the wake of the march. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation closed entry and exit gates at six stations – Janpath, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road, Central Secretariat, Rajiv Chowk and Patel Chowk – from 6 am until 4 pm. Passengers can still use the stations to change metro lines.
The Delhi Police, the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been deployed at several places, including Barakhamba Road and areas near Mandi House.
Rahul claimed that some police and security personnel sympathised with the protesters. “Exactly 50% of the police personnel are telling us that what we are doing is right and we should continue,” he said, naming the Delhi Police, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the CRPF while alleging that officials were being asked to stop young demonstrators.
He also demanded Kumar’s resignation, citing questions reportedly raised by two election commissioners. “Lakhs of people are questioning you and your conduct, and they will not stop,” he said, directly addressing the CEC.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in india news and world news on Zee News.