- 11 minutes ago
A heated debate unfolded over nationwide protests demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner following allegations surrounding the Special Intensive Revision voter list exercise. Congress spokesperson Gurmehar Kaur argued that holding ground and participating in democratic processes is paramount, asserting that 'to contest elections is resistance' against institutional erosion. Bharatiya Janata Party national spokesperson Sanju Verma defended the Election Commission of India, dismissing opposition protests as politically motivated charades and maintaining that the CEC acted within constitutional powers under Articles 324, 325, and 326. Meanwhile, CJP spokesperson Ravisha Pradeep stated that grassroots mobilisations and flash protests starting from Shivaji Park are essential to amplify citizen dissent when fundamental voting rights are compromised. The panel debated whether fragmented street protests can mount viable accountability ahead of the upcoming electoral battles.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Let's now cut across to our political face-off this evening.
00:04Joining me is Ravisha Pradeep, spokesperson, CJP.
00:07Sanju Verma, national spokesperson, BJP.
00:10Gurmeher Kaur, spokesperson, Congress.
00:11We do not have a timer.
00:13I would hope all of you will respect each other and give each other equal time
00:16to put forward their points of views.
00:19I want to cut across first to the CJP spokesperson
00:22because right now all eyes are on Shivaji Park.
00:25Ravisha Pradeep, I see you not at Shivaji Park,
00:29but that aside, the question I want to ask you is
00:32what's the next game plan?
00:34You were allowed to protest at Shivaji Park.
00:38That protest ends in an hour and a half.
00:40Where do you take your protest from there?
00:44Right.
00:45So thank you for having me on the panel.
00:48So like the earlier news reporter has presented,
00:52or he has said, the idea is to go from cities to cities
00:56and also to amplify this.
00:57Earlier when we were, you know, spearheading the entire need protest,
01:01the CJP was spearheading the entire need protest,
01:03though they were in Jantar Mandir,
01:04they managed to amplify the voice of CJP across India,
01:09even though it wasn't CJP that was going, you know,
01:11state to state and city to city.
01:13But then there was a fantastic ripple effect
01:15that basically, you know, mobilized people from various cities
01:18to come forward, protest and do it by themselves.
01:20But right now, I think CJP wants to be there in every city
01:24and in every state going forward until our demands are met
01:28with respect to Kumar's resignation and, of course,
01:32all other things associated to the Election Commission of India.
01:35So that's basically where we're headed to.
01:38All right.
01:39Okay.
01:39So that's how you're going to draw your roadmap.
01:41I want to bring in Sanju Verma into this conversation.
01:43Sanju Verma, well, the CJP was allowed by the Mumbai police
01:47to carry on its protest.
01:50And with at least our reporters on ground,
01:53it wasn't not a success.
01:55Maybe not kind of crowds that, you know,
01:58the 22nd of July had drawn in where Delhi was concerned,
02:02but a fair amount of numbers there at Shivaji Park
02:06of their own volition and organic in nature.
02:10You know, Preeti, let's get one thing very clear.
02:12I always say that the people of this country are so smart,
02:15they can see through the charade of so-called neutral activists.
02:20And that is exactly how it panned out in Mumbai today,
02:23a city that I come from.
02:24From Mahim to Matunga, from Dadar to Mumbai Central,
02:28from South Mumbai to Navi Mumbai,
02:29there were people who gathered in and around Shivaji Park,
02:33people who absolutely abhorred the kind of political activism
02:40that the CJP finds itself doing,
02:43all under the garb of working for the youngsters of this country.
02:46The youngsters of this country do not want a bunch of charlatans.
02:50And I think that was amply evident today
02:52when the aang janata in Mumbai said,
02:54we don't have to take the CJP to the people of this country.
02:57We don't have to take the CJP to the people of this country.
03:00These are the Arvind Kejriwal of Charan Chumbak.
03:06These people are the stooges of aam aadmi party.
03:10This is the aam janata on the streets of Mumbai
03:13laying bare the so-called
03:15Abhijit Dipke Saurabh, Das and Ashutosh Rangka's gang
03:20who till now have been saying,
03:22we will take the CEC's resignation.
03:24We will take the schools.
03:26We will take the election commission.
03:28We will take the Mumbai police.
03:29Today, the people of Mumbai
03:31have taken the cockroaches and taken the mouth and answered.
03:35The CJP protest has been a damp squib.
03:39It has been a disaster.
03:41But it hasn't...
03:42But Ms. Verma, at least our reporters on the ground
03:44don't seem to think it's a damp squib.
03:48I'm just telling you, ma'am,
03:50they don't seem to think that it's a damp squib.
03:53They think that, at least on ground,
03:54the numbers were not parallel to what was Delhi,
03:57but there's a sizable chunk that's come out,
03:59that showed up.
04:01You know, Preeti,
04:02your reporters have the right to present facts
04:06as they seem and as they deem fit.
04:09Me, as the national spokesperson of BJP,
04:11have every right to say what I deem fit.
04:14And I will say this.
04:15True.
04:15When the protest at Jantar Mantar happened,
04:18people actually bought the
04:20Kokoro Janta Party's version
04:22that perhaps these people are not in
04:26for any kind of political one-upmanship,
04:29but perhaps, in truth,
04:31they want to work for the people of the youth.
04:34But after that,
04:36the same Janta saw,
04:37when the protest against a paper leak in Ranchi,
04:40Abhijit Dipke was MIA,
04:42Saurav Das was MIA,
04:44Ashutosh Ranka was MIA,
04:46MIA, as in missing in action,
04:48Abhijit Dipke has said,
04:49I'm going to tie for it.
04:51Ashutosh Ranka is going to tell you about Delhi,
04:53Saurav Das is going to tell you about malaria.
04:55You think people are stupid?
04:57Okay, fair point.
04:58You have a point.
04:58You can put your point forward.
05:00I just want to bring in the Congress spokesperson,
05:02Gurmeher Kaur,
05:02into this conversation.
05:04Gurmeher Kaur,
05:05the Congress hasn't quite supported
05:07or have been there
05:08where the protest in the evening
05:10or even in the day
05:11where certain opposition parties
05:13had taken to the streets
05:14to protest against the CEC.
05:16Your protests start from the 6th of October.
05:20Do you think these multiple flash protests,
05:24each performing in its own little silos,
05:28will really work on putting pressure on the CEC?
05:32I 100% think so.
05:33I think that's exactly what we need.
05:35And I think just pitting one protest against the other,
05:38we don't think it's very productive.
05:40I think if the Kaukharjanda Party wants to do a protest,
05:44it's brilliant.
05:44If ISA wants to do a protest,
05:47it's brilliant because the heart of the issue,
05:50you know, the heart of the issue is this question
05:52that how did legitimate voters disappear
05:53from the electoral roll
05:54after their own officials have cleared them, right?
05:58So if there are multiple parties
06:00who want to do a protest,
06:02they should do a protest.
06:03It is a political,
06:04it is, you know,
06:05it is a political issue,
06:06but it is also the issue
06:07about the soul of this country.
06:09You know, today is Gandhi Janti.
06:10We have fought really, really hard.
06:13We have given our life.
06:15We have given our blood for this country,
06:16for our right to vote.
06:18We have given everything.
06:20And the Congress Party will,
06:24Rahulji has always said,
06:25as a collective opposition,
06:28anyone who wants to fight for the soul of India
06:30will fight for the soul of India.
06:33And today, the Indian Youth Congress, NSUI,
06:36also joined the protest in Jantar Mantar,
06:39in and around Jantar Mantar,
06:40because they did not allow anybody to have protest.
06:42In fact, the funniest thing,
06:43and the most heartbreaking thing,
06:46and just this...
06:47But go ahead, you know,
06:48at the cost of...
06:48I'm interrupting you.
06:49But the fact is,
06:51in totality,
06:52the number that was put today
06:53in terms of detention,
06:54which includes the Ahmad Ami Party,
06:56includes the SFI,
06:57it includes now the NSUI as well,
06:59did not exceed 1100.
07:00There is still lesser faith
07:03that the people have,
07:05in political outfits like yours,
07:07to come out and organically join
07:08the clarion call of coming to Jantar Mantar,
07:10while at Shivaji Park,
07:13there seems to be at least more trust
07:16in the political pressure group
07:17of the Cockroach Janta Party.
07:20I do not...
07:21You know, I do not think
07:22it's also just about trust.
07:23I think it's also about the infrastructure
07:24that is laid out in Delhi
07:26to stop the protest.
07:27For example,
07:28all your metro stations
07:29in and around the center of...
07:31In and around the center,
07:32the site where the protest had to happen,
07:34were shut down.
07:36Your cab drivers,
07:37your internet were jammed.
07:39But, Guma,
07:40did that stop the protest
07:42the last time around in Jantar Mantar?
07:4511 metro stations were stalled.
07:47People, if they wanted to come,
07:49made their way to Jantar Mantar.
07:50Whichever road they took,
07:52how they came.
07:53So I don't think
07:53it's the infrastructure,
07:54it's the intent.
07:55You and I both understand that.
07:56But I'll just come back,
07:57I'll circle back to you.
07:58I want to come back to,
08:00you know,
08:00and take final words now.
08:02I'll come back to Ms. Pradeep,
08:04spokesperson, CJP.
08:05Ms. Pradeep,
08:06the fact is,
08:07you've been able to draw a bit of crowd.
08:09How do you build momentum?
08:10And that is going to be problematic.
08:12In Jantar Mantar,
08:13you had somebody
08:14like a Sonam Vangchuk
08:15who was sitting on a fast.
08:17And then when he was picked up,
08:19that was your trigger.
08:20That led to a sea of support
08:22because there was empathy involved.
08:24One flash protest right now in Mumbai,
08:27then you're going to pick another city.
08:28How are you going to build momentum
08:29and pressure
08:30for the resignation of the CEC?
08:33Right.
08:34Priti,
08:35so a vote,
08:36a citizen's vote
08:37is one of the strongest voices
08:39he gets to express in this country.
08:41Now,
08:42when that is put at stake,
08:44when that is being taken away
08:45from a citizen,
08:46I feel now amplification.
08:48And how do you amplify?
08:50How do you voice out?
08:51And how do you express your dissent?
08:53You do it through protest.
08:53So while I understand
08:55that Sonam Vangchuk, sir,
08:56has been, you know,
08:57pretty much on the forefront
08:59of the need protests,
09:00when a citizen's fundamental right
09:02has been snatched away from him
09:04in the most undemocratic manner
09:06through everything
09:07that has happened with the SIR,
09:09I think to scale it
09:11and to reach it to people
09:13and to, you know,
09:15make people's voices heard right now,
09:16protesting is the only way
09:18going forward.
09:19When you snatch away
09:20a citizen's fundamental right
09:22in the world's largest democracy,
09:24now this is the only option
09:25that we as citizens
09:27kind of have to go forward
09:29and fight
09:30and to change the system.
09:32And what I would also want to flag is,
09:35it shouldn't be CGP's job
09:37to fix the school,
09:39to fix the elections.
09:40Fair point.
09:40But how are you going to build pressure?
09:42You have one demand,
09:44which is that
09:44Dyanesh Kumar steps down
09:46by small flash protests
09:48across the country
09:49where is the pressure?
09:50How are you building momentum?
09:52What you see today
09:53in Sivaji Park
09:54is just one small glimpse
09:56into what is going to spread
09:58like wildfire
09:58in all other cities.
10:00So that's what you're hoping happens.
10:01Because I'll tell you what,
10:02when the Jantar Mantar protest
10:04started off,
10:05we would just see basic headlines
10:06of what CGP is doing
10:08at the Jantar Mantar.
10:09But at every passing day,
10:10then the heat and tension
10:11of the protest...
10:12All right, so you're hoping
10:13multiple protests,
10:14cluster protests
10:15lead to a major...
10:17Okay, okay.
10:18They're fine.
10:19You know, I just want to
10:19cut across to the BJP spokesperson.
10:21And to give citizens...
10:22Fair point, ma'am.
10:23I'll come back to you.
10:24Allow me to bring in
10:24Ms. Sanju Verma
10:25into this conversation.
10:26Ms. Verma,
10:27the BJP and you,
10:28even on the show yesterday,
10:30has made a spirited defense
10:31of the CEC.
10:32Why is it?
10:33Then, the CEC,
10:35in the last one week,
10:36there has been
10:36no press conference.
10:37The second press release
10:38that the CEC made
10:40seemingly admitted
10:41to some of the charges
10:43that was highlighted
10:44in the Indian Express report.
10:45What is even astounding
10:47is today in itself,
10:48the CEC,
10:49after the SIR exercise,
10:51has closed in multiple states,
10:53has now announced a drive
10:55to add voters
10:58who have been left out
10:59of the voter rolls.
11:00All of this
11:01clearly seems to suggest
11:02that the CEC
11:03has understood
11:05that there were grave errors
11:06that were made,
11:07which were highlighted,
11:08and now is trying
11:09to cause correct,
11:10which is admission of guilt.
11:13You know, Preeti,
11:14let me make one thing
11:15very, very clear.
11:16The CEC has not admitted
11:18to any guilt.
11:19Point number one,
11:20Ritika Chopra
11:21and the Indian Express
11:22carried out a hit job.
11:23Point number two,
11:24the CEC is within
11:26its right
11:27to conduct
11:28the SIR exercise-wide
11:31Article 324, 325,
11:33and 326
11:34of the Indian Constitution.
11:35Point number four,
11:37in its verdict
11:37dated 27th, May 2026,
11:40the Supreme Court
11:41upheld the CEC's path,
11:42saying that a declaration
11:44to the SIR can be added,
11:45and I repeat,
11:46the CEC simply added
11:48a declaration to Form 6.
11:49There was no alteration
11:51to Form 6.
11:51But my final point is this.
11:53When TN Session
11:54was the CEC,
11:55he saw dissent notes
11:56from his colleagues
11:57MS Gill
11:58and GVG Krishnamurthy.
12:00When VS Sampath
12:01was the CEC,
12:02he saw a dissent note
12:04from Naveen Chawla.
12:05When Naveen Chawla
12:07was the CEC,
12:08he saw a dissent note
12:09from N. Gopalaswami.
12:11But at that time,
12:12the same Darbari ecosystem
12:13said,
12:14so what?
12:15Dissent is routine protocol.
12:17But today,
12:18they are demonizing dissent.
12:19Dissent is kosher,
12:21even within
12:22the election commission.
12:23But my final point is this.
12:25Rahul Gandhi,
12:25if you feel
12:26Vokchori happened,
12:28then have the audacity
12:30to resign
12:31from your Lok Sabha seat
12:32in Rai Bareli.
12:33Priyanka Vadra,
12:35if you feel
12:35Vokchori happened,
12:37resign from your
12:37Lok Sabha seat
12:38and why not?
12:39And to the Kokoro Janta Party,
12:41my simple message is this.
12:42You know why?
12:43The CJP protest
12:45in Mumbai
12:45failed miserably
12:46because the same CJP
12:48did not ask
12:49for the resignation
12:50of Karnataka
12:51Education Minister
12:52Madhu Bangarappa.
12:53The same CJP
12:54did not ask
12:55for the resignation
12:55of Kerala Education
12:57Minister
12:57Roji John.
12:58The same CJP
13:00did not ask
13:00for the resignation
13:01of Jharkhand CM,
13:03Hemant Sorain,
13:04who is also
13:04the Education Minister.
13:06You think people
13:07can't see
13:07that Saurav Das,
13:09Ashutosh Ranka
13:10and Abhijit Dipke
13:11are Aam Aadmi Party
13:13stooges.
13:14I repeat,
13:15Aam Aadmi Party
13:16is a charan chumbak
13:17they say,
13:18Arvind Kejriwal
13:20has done a phenomenal
13:21job in Punjab.
13:22It's a little shame
13:22or not?
13:24The Punjab
13:24and Haryana
13:25High Court
13:25has put us
13:26on 454
13:28pharmacy positions.
13:29Madam,
13:30allow me to bring in
13:31I don't have a timer.
13:33That does not mean
13:33our producers
13:34are not timing
13:35the conversations.
13:36I want to bring in
13:37Gurmeher Kaur
13:38into this conversation.
13:39Gurmeher,
13:40the fact is,
13:42do you think,
13:43A,
13:44you have based,
13:45you know,
13:45you keep saying
13:46Rahul Gandhi
13:46has been speaking
13:47about the Election Commission.
13:48You're correct.
13:49But the major call
13:51for now the resignation
13:52of even the Prime Minister
13:54and the Home Minister
13:55has come at the back
13:56of a news report
13:57that has limited
13:58its investigation
13:59to the CEC.
14:00Do you feel,
14:01do you not think
14:02that the call
14:03for resignation
14:04of the PM
14:04and the HM
14:05is rather untenable?
14:08I do want to answer
14:10to what the BGP spokesperson
14:11said and I will come to you.
14:12You know,
14:13I want to answer to this.
14:14You know,
14:14invoking Naveen Chawla,
14:16I truly feel
14:17cannot answer
14:18your son,
14:20Sandhu and Joshi.
14:21So two sitting commissioners
14:22have objected
14:23to the decisions
14:24that were taken
14:24under today's CEC.
14:26So, Madam,
14:26you need to answer
14:27those objections.
14:28And today's BGP government
14:29has replaced
14:30the Chief Justice
14:31on the Selection Committee
14:32with a Cabinet Minister.
14:33It also added
14:34Section 16,
14:35you know,
14:36shielding sitting
14:36and former commissioners
14:37from civil or criminal
14:38proceedings over the official acts.
14:40So I want to ask you,
14:41why did your government
14:42change who selects
14:44the referee
14:44and strengthens
14:45the referee's protection
14:46from these proceedings?
14:47You know,
14:47the country,
14:48we have lots of questions.
14:50You know,
14:50the country deserves
14:51answers about Form 6,
14:53access to electoral roll
14:54database,
14:54and of course,
14:57of course,
14:57we, you know,
14:58coming back to your question,
15:00of course,
15:01we demand
15:03accountability
15:04from the Home Minister
15:05and the Prime Minister
15:06because it is under them
15:07that all of these,
15:09this entire situation
15:10has been created.
15:12Your vote
15:13has been taken away.
15:14There are around
15:1413 crore people
15:15who have not been,
15:16who have not been...
15:19which is something
15:20that the BJP also makes up,
15:22you know,
15:23the BJP also asks,
15:24you allow me to ask
15:25you a question on that,
15:25then if there is no faith,
15:27if you're so convinced
15:28that every election
15:29under the CEC
15:30has been rigged
15:31and has been unfair,
15:34then why do you
15:35continue fighting elections?
15:36Why not boycott elections then?
15:38You have elections
15:38coming up in the next five months.
15:40We cannot boycott elections.
15:42It is our right
15:43to fight elections.
15:44We have to hold the space
15:44because what happens,
15:45because what happens
15:46if, Madam,
15:47please,
15:47I think that would
15:53just create a great space
15:55for the BJP
15:56and the RSS
15:56to build up
15:58independent candidates
15:59that sort of favoured them
16:00and completely wash away
16:02the constitution
16:02that we have.
16:04I think that would...
16:04What?
16:05To contest elections
16:07is resistance.
16:08To go on the streets
16:09is resistance.
16:10To break out
16:11in multiple,
16:12in districts and states
16:13in the nation
16:14is resistance.
16:15And today,
16:16at this point,
16:16the Congress Party
16:17is a resistance party.
16:18We will resist
16:19this erosion
16:20of the constitution
16:21that the BJP
16:22and the RSS
16:23is doing.
16:24And if we have to hold
16:25the Prime Minister
16:25and Home Minister
16:26accountable,
16:27we will hold them accountable.
16:28And we demand
16:29the resignation
16:29of Gyanesh Kumar.
16:31All right.
16:31So the Congress's
16:32main protest kick-off
16:33coming the 6th of October.
16:35Right now,
16:35the CJP
16:36has started
16:36its own protest
16:37from Shivaji Pak.
16:39we'll only know
16:41whether these protests
16:43reach fruition
16:43and for them
16:44to reach fruition
16:45would be
16:46the resignation
16:46of the CEC.
16:47We are closely following
16:48all aspects
16:49of the political developments.
16:52There.
16:52Thank you,
16:53all three ladies,
16:53for joining us.