Congress to hold major rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan - all you need to know

NEW DELHI: The Congress volition clasp a large rally astatine Ramlila Maidan successful the nationalist superior connected Sunday, stepping up its run implicit alleged “vote chori” and the SIR issue, enactment leaders said.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and erstwhile enactment main Rahul Gandhi are expected to code the rally. Ahead of the rally, elder leaders volition assemble astatine the party’s Indira Bhawan office and proceed unneurotic to Ramlila Maidan successful a bus.The rally comes days aft a fiery statement successful the Lok Sabha, during which the authorities and the Opposition clashed implicit the peculiar intensive revision of electoral rolls and "vote chori" allegations.

Senior enactment leaders to be the rally

Senior leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K C Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh and Sachin Pilot, are besides acceptable to participate, portion erstwhile Congress president Sonia Gandhi is besides apt to beryllium present."Our enactment has organised the 'Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod' rally astatine Ramlila Maidan. The Congress enactment has taken a measurement towards a decisive battle, and a ample fig of radical volition be this rally," Congress person Bhupesh Baghel was quoted arsenic saying by ANI.

Telangana main curate A Revanth Reddy is besides expected to be the rally.According to a enactment spokesperson, 1,027 Congress leaders and activists acceptable retired from Jammu connected Saturday to be the rally. The radical raised slogans of “vote chore, gaddi chhore” and “Delhi chalo” portion en route, arsenic cited by PTI. Jharkhand Congress president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh said the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee has undertaken extended preparations for the rally.

Describing the programme arsenic historic, Kamlesh added that enactment leaders, workers and representatives from crossed Jharkhand person already arrived successful Delhi successful ample numbers.

‘Lacking a neutral umpire,’ says K C Venugopal

Congress MP K C Venugopal connected Saturday criticised the Election Commission of India, saying the state was “lacking a neutral umpire” to behaviour elections. He besides referred to earlier property conferences addressed by the Leader of the Opposition successful the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, which highlighted alleged electoral malpractices."We are lacking a neutral umpire successful this state for conducting elections. This is really precise unsafe to democracy. That is wherefore we are going wholly for a run and movement. The five-crore signature has to beryllium submitted to the President of India. We are seeking an appointment... In Parliament, we besides discussed this ballot chori issue. Our LoP has fixed straightforward suggestions. Not lone criticising, but we are besides providing wide suggestions.

..There are a batch of complaints astir the machines, the EVMs. Lakhs of radical volition enactment successful that... This is an interior enactment program," Venugopal was quoted arsenic saying by ANI. Venugopal said the Congress has gathered implicit 5 crore signatures nationwide to item alleged ballot theft, calling it a halfway antiauthoritarian issue. He alleged the beingness of "bogus" and duplicate votes, claimed that Rahul Gandhi’s property conferences exposed irregularities favouring the BJP, and said the Election Commission ignored the party’s ailment portion alternatively targeting the Congress.

Amit Shah vs Rahul Gandhi

Tensions flared successful the Lok Sabha connected Wednesday arsenic Union location curate Amit Shah and Congress person Rahul Gandhi sparred implicit allegations of “vote chori.” Gandhi repeatedly challenged Shah to statement the issues raised during caller property conferences, including claims of irregularities successful electoral rolls.Moreover, Rahul launched a crisp onslaught connected the authorities and the Election Commission, raising 3 questions that helium said demonstrated however the BJP was “directing and using” the EC to undermine India’s democracy.Rahul besides enactment guardant a bid of proposals, including providing machine-readable elector lists to each governmental parties a period earlier elections, scrapping the proviso that allows CCTV footage to beryllium destroyed aft 45 days, granting entree to EVMs, and amending laws that, helium alleged, let predetermination commissioners to “get distant with immoderate they privation to do.”Responding sharply, Shah said Parliament would not relation according to Rahull’s wishes and asserted that helium would code the questions successful his ain sequence.

He defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of elector lists, describing it arsenic a indispensable workout to “sanitise” the electoral rolls.Accusing the Opposition of treble standards, Shah said the Election Commission was praised aft electoral victories but criticised aft defeats. The speech ended with Opposition MPs staging a walkout during Shah’s reply, forcing an adjournment of the House.