Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on October 10 accused the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre of attempting to restrict citizens’ right to dissent, alleging that the government had already deprived people of their right to vote.
In a post on X, Gogoi said, “After snatching the right to vote, the Modi-Shah government in Delhi seems determined to steal the right to dissent of the Indian citizen. Time has come to remove this government from power.”
His remarks come amid continuing protests by the opposition INDIA bloc over allegations of “vote chori” and its demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The INDIA bloc is scheduled to hold a protest march in New Delhi on Monday, October 12, against the chief election commissioner over the allegations. A delegation of senior opposition leaders is also expected to submit a memorandum to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, seeking his intervention in the matter.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said Congress leaders, INDIA bloc representatives and young people would take to the streets again to raise concerns over electoral integrity and the state of democracy in the country.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said the proposed demonstration would bring together INDIA bloc MPs, party leaders, workers and citizens concerned about democratic institutions. He reiterated the opposition’s demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, asserting that the alliance would continue its campaign.
The latest announcement follows a meeting between INDIA bloc leaders and President Droupadi Murmu, during which opposition representatives raised allegations of “vote chori” and demanded the chief election commissioner’s resignation. They also called for the repeal of Assembly elections conducted over the past two years.
Opposition protests have been underway since Tuesday, when leaders attempted to march from Parliament to the Election Commission’s office but were stopped en route. Rahul Gandhi subsequently staged a sit-in at the Akashvani Bhawan complex.
On Wednesday and Thursday, opposition MPs continued their demonstrations in central Delhi, including marches to Jantar Mantar and Rajghat. They accused the BJP leadership and the chief election commissioner of undermining the electoral process.
The protests have also followed a report by an English-language daily detailing alleged differences within the Election Commission. The report highlighted objections reportedly recorded by election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi on several matters over the past 10 months, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Last week, INDIA bloc leaders finalised a joint action plan on the electoral roll revision issue, including rallies and “Save Democracy” marches.
The opposition’s campaign is expected to continue in the coming days, with electoral transparency, the revision of voter lists and the independence of constitutional institutions remaining central to its demands.