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Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has invited INDIA bloc MPs, civil society members and student organisations for a high tea at his residence on Tuesday, news agencies reported.
A joint press conference of INDIA bloc leaders is also expected followed by tea at Gandhi’s 5, Sunehri Bagh Road residence, the news agencies said.
“Following today’s March for Democracy and the submission of the petition … a joint press conference of INDIA leaders will be held tomorrow afternoon, followed by tea. ‘I invite you to join me at my residence at 5, Sunehri Bagh Road, New Delhi, at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, 13th October’,” the invite shared by news agency PTI read on Monday.
A day after protests
The tea meet comes a day after the thousands attended INDIA bloc protest called by Rahul Gandhi over the vote theft charge. Opposition stalwarts, joined by activists and civil society members, undertook a “March for Democracy” on a heavily barricaded route and filed a joint petition against SIR and alleged poll irregularities in a major show of strength in the national capital.
A mammoth crowd carrying flags and posters descended on central Delhi’s Connaught Place, with Leaders of Opposition (LoPs) in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, CPI’s D Raja, CPI-M leader M A Baby, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, besides NCP-SCP leader Supriya Sule, among those who joined the march.
While the protesters breached one barricade at the Bhagwan Dass Road, they were finally halted at the second barricade on the road. Later, top leaders of the INDIA bloc went to the Supreme Court to file their petition.
The petition has made the Election Commission of India, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and other Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi parties in the case.
The development came a day after the Chief Justice of India declined a request for a meeting with the LoPs on the issue, saying the matter is sub judice.
INDIA bloc PIL in SC
The Congress-led Opposition’s protests are against the SIR exercise and demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the voters’ roll revision.
“March for Democracy”
The petition seeks to raise discrepancies of voter deletions during SIR and requires the Supreme Court to summon all records concerning the decisions taken by the ECI and conduct an independent probe. The Election Commission has been named as one of the four respondents in the plea.
