Rahul Gandhi vows to continue fight for ‘restoration of democracy’ in India

New Delhi: India’s opposition INDIA bloc has vowed to intensify its campaign against the BJP-led government over alleged electoral irregularities and restrictions on protests, with Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi declaring that the movement’s sole mission is the “restoration of democracy” in the country.

“There are no parallel protests. There is one singular protest, and the protest has one mission: restoration of democracy in India,” Gandhi said on Tuesday, a day after opposition leaders staged a march in central Delhi demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

Fight for democracy

Addressing a joint press conference after hosting a tea meeting with leaders of 16 INDIA bloc parties, Gandhi said democratic institutions and the electoral system had been undermined.

“The election system has been destroyed. The Constitution has been torn up and thrown away. We are fighting together to restore democratic rule, genuine democratic rule in this country,” he said.

During the meeting, INDIA bloc leaders decided to challenge the BJP-led Indian government’s decision to remove Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest sites and make its reinstatement part of their campaign.

“The one method of expression of democracy was Jantar Mantar and now the government has decided that Jantar Mantar can no longer be used to express democratic feelings. Well, we are going to challenge that idea,” Gandhi said.

He warned that the government could not prevent people from raising their voices, adding that those responsible for undermining democratic institutions would not find it easy to avoid accountability.

“It is not going to be so simple for the government to decide that the Indian people will not fight for their voice. The people who have done this, they need to understand that the net is closing around them. It is not going to be so simple that you can destroy the Indian Constitution and get away with it,” he said.

Opposition leaders react

Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary M.A. Baby criticised the removal of Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest sites, saying that alongside “vote chori,” the BJP had now resorted to “protest site chori.”

Communist Party of India leader D. Raja and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav also raised concerns over the decision. Yadav described it as a sign of fear on the part of the BJP.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sagarika Ghose called the BJP government in West Bengal “illegitimate due to vote chori” and said the movement launched by the opposition would continue until Kumar was removed.

Plans for further action

According to Indian news portal The Wire, which quoted sources, suggestions were made during the meeting to hold a mock Parliament on November 1, when the INDIA bloc is scheduled to organise a rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan. The proposed proceedings could include public hearings and testimonies from voters who say they have been disenfranchised, as well as consideration of an impeachment motion against Kumar.

The opposition has maintained pressure for Kumar’s resignation since October 6, when its leaders attempted to march to the Election Commission of India but were stopped by police. Gandhi subsequently staged an eight-hour sit-in at the Akashwani Bhawan premises.

The following day, opposition leaders sought to march to Jantar Mantar but were stopped by police, with several protesters detained. The opposition later visited Gandhi Smarak and met Indian President Droupadi Murmu to submit a memorandum against Kumar.

Monday’s march followed a week of protests and came after Delhi Police detained people who responded to the Cockroach Janta Party’s protest call on October 10.