Modi, Shah won’t escape law: Opposition at Delhi rally over 'vote chori' charge
At a massive Ramlila Maidan rally, Opposition leaders accused the EC of colluding with the BJP to steal votes and demanded CEC Gyanesh Kumar's removal and an end to SIR
The Opposition INDIA bloc on Sunday (November 1) called for the BJP's ouster over the “vote chori” charge, with Rahul Gandhi warning that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar would be removed and jailed for treason, and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah would not escape the law.
In a show of strength, prominent leaders of the grouping addressed a mammoth rally at Ramlila Maidan against alleged electoral irregularities and voter list revision and claimed that the BJP formed governments at the centre and in states with "stolen" mandate.
Opposition targets Modi, Shah
"Narendra Modiji and Amit Shahji, understand this -- after Gyanesh Kumar, we will stand against you and don't forget that for the 'vote chori' you have done, there will be legal action against you," Rahul said.
The Opposition leaders alleged that the Chief Election Commisisoner (CEC) had colluded with the BJP to "steal" the votes of citizens and vowed to fight to "protect the Constitution and democracy".
"This was not the voice of any one political party or leader but of the entire Opposition and nation that includes India's youth, women, farmers, labourers and common people. They are declaring that ‘we will not let democracy and Constitution be destroyed in India’," the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said, hailing the turnout at the rally.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge accused Modi and Shah of shielding the CEC. "Modi and Shah have attempted to snatch the vote of Dalits, youth and women. Modiji wants to take away their votes through his man -- Gyanesh Kumar. We will keep fighting until he goes, and ensure his exit," he said.
Rahul questions 2024 mandate
Alleging that "vote chori" has been taking place in the country for several years, Rahul described the 2024 Lok Sabha election as "illegal". He pointed out that the Election Commission removed 15 per cent of total voters from the electoral rolls even while the difference between the NDA and the Opposition grouping was merely 3 per cent of votes.
"This means that the 2024 election was illegal; it was stolen. I am not saying this but the EC stated this because they have removed 13.3 crore voters from the 2024 list," he said. "This was not a normal theft, as this is stealing the voice of citizens and in legal parlance it is called 'rarest of rare'; this is treason. Without Gyanesh Kumar, neither Modi would have become PM nor Shah Home Minister," he said.
Responding to Shah's statement that Modi is not going anywhere, Rahul said, "Narendra Modi cannot go anywhere; even if he wants to go, we will not let him."
The "vote bachao, desh bachao maharally" was part of the opposition's series of protests for removal of CEC Kumar and scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Opposition leaders rally against BJP
Top Opposition leaders, including former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, TMC's Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, NC's Farooq Abdullah, PDP's Mehbooba Mufti, CPI-M's MA Baby, CPI's D Raja, NCP-SP's Supriya Sule and Shiv Sena-UBT's Sanjay Raut were among those present at the rally, besides Priyanka Gandhi, KC Venugopal, Dipankar Bhattacharya and civil society members.
SP's Akhilesh Yadav said the Ramlila Maidan has turned into the "Haldighati of democracy" with a massive turnout of people and asserted that this is indicative of change in the offing.
Mamata Banerjee claimed that West Bengal election was hijacked and called upon people across communities and political affiliations to unite against the BJP. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav likened the fight against alleged "vote chori" to the epic Mahabharata, describing it as a battle between the country's voters and "cheaters".
(With agency inputs)