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Opposition leaders from the INDIA bloc are assembling for a lunch meeting in central Delhi to finalise their protest strategy, even as heavy security arrangements are put in place. Personnel from Delhi Police and the Rapid Action Force, including women personnel, have deployed barricades and set up cordons outside the venue to manage any prospective march. Workers from the Youth Congress and the National Students' Union of India have gathered and raised slogans ahead of the arrival of senior leaders. Buses are stationed on site, sparking anticipation over whether the parliamentarians plan to march towards Jantar Mantar, Raj Ghat, or the Election Commission's office following previous detentions. Key figures, including Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, are expected to join discussions regarding demonstrations against alleged vote theft and the Chief Election Commissioner.

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00:00So that was Congress MP Manikam Tagore talking about the strategy of the opposition,
00:04though he did not reveal what's the plan for today, where will the march be heading towards,
00:09but one thing seems likely that there is going to be a protest by the opposition MPs even today,
00:16because the youth Congress workers, the Congress workers, the NSUI workers are all geared up,
00:23they've already started chanting slogans, the leaders are yet to arrive, some of them have arrived,
00:27we showed you what the leaders had to say, and the police also seems to be better prepared today,
00:33because they know that in all likelihood there is going to be a march even today.
00:38Yesterday it was a surprise, but today the cops are also geared up, we can see heavy police deployment over
00:44here,
00:44there are buses that are parked, my colleague Aishwarya Paliwal is also with us.
00:49Aishwarya, today the cops seem to be better prepared as they know that in all likelihood there is going to
00:56be a march,
00:56there is going to be protest that will be taking place today.
01:04Well definitely, you know, let me just show you where we are standing, barely, you know, 10 metres away from
01:09Moits,
01:10that's the place where we will see the lunch diplomacy taking place today.
01:14In fact, some of the leaders, KC Venugopal, someone who has been organising this,
01:18is in fact standing outside, has come outside the restaurant,
01:24he's waiting for the other leaders to come in, so he in fact is someone who will make sure that
01:29the Congress leadership enters Moit,
01:31and then we will see the lunch diplomacy take place.
01:34You know, let me tell you the RAF, you know, the Rapid Action Force,
01:37in large numbers the women personnel also present on the spot,
01:41and all of them are now making way,
01:44making sure that, you know, they barricade the entire route,
01:47also making sure that just in case the leaders want to step out,
01:51and then they start doing a protest, everything is within, is cordoned off.
01:55That is something that we are seeing all of them do.
01:58You will be able to see the Delhi police personnel and the RAF,
02:01all of them now moving out, making sure that, you know,
02:04there is in fact a corridor of sorts which is being made.
02:08So that's the situation at the moment.
02:11The Bhaiti Shanta Party also keeping a hawk's eye on what the opposition is doing.
02:14Interesting will be the people who will be coming, Anjali,
02:17and more interesting will be the ones who will be missing from this lunch.
02:24Absolutely, Aishwarya, do stay with us.
02:27So, we are just six minutes away from 1.45.
02:311.45 is the time that has been given to the MPs to assemble at Moit,
02:35where the opposition MPs will be having lunch.
02:37Remember, yesterday it was Sagar Ratna, which is just adjusted to Moit.
02:41We are standing outside the two restaurants.
02:45Today, the opposition MPs will be having lunch at Moit,
02:48and after which the strategy will be decided.
02:51There is still no clarity where the opposition MPs will be moving towards.
02:56Will it be Janatar Mantar once again?
02:58Will it be the Election Commission's office?
03:00Because on Tuesday we saw it was the Election Commission's office.
03:03But what came as a surprise element is when Rahul Gandhi,
03:06forcibly entered the Akashwani Bhavan.
03:09Yesterday we saw it was a surprise protest, flash protest happened.
03:13The opposition MPs started moving in buses towards Jantar Mantar.
03:17Today it remains to be seen what is the location that they decide over lunch.
03:20My colleague Amit Bhadwaj was also with us.
03:23Amit, you spoke with Manikam Tagore, and he was not ready to disclose the location.
03:27He said that the MPs will be deciding where to go over the lunch.
03:33Will it be once again Jantar Mantar, because Jantar Mantar is nearby,
03:36or will it be the Election Commission's office, or will it be any surprise when you now?
03:46Well, the location that we are standing at, it is a very strategic location,
03:50because, you know, the buses which are lined up, three buses lined up for the MPs,
03:55once they step out of the mohits after the lunch meeting,
03:59they are positioned in a direction from where they can actually take the Minto Road route for Rajghat.
04:06So, is Rajghat the destination? That is a question.
04:11Or will these MPs, you know, again, put up a surprise for the Delhi police personnel
04:16who are deployed here in big numbers, the RAF personnel deployed here in big numbers,
04:20to ensure that the MPs do not move towards Jantar Mantar.
04:25Now, Jantar Mantar is not far off from here.
04:27You can actually walk down to Jantar Mantar.
04:30Yes, that would mean that, you know, a walk of nearly four kilometres at least, so to say,
04:34but through the inner circles of Karnat place, you can cross towards Jantar and from Jantar you can enter Jantar
04:42Mantar.
04:42That place is not far off.
04:44But if that movement happens, we are to believe that the Delhi police will stop the movement of the MPs.
04:50Like yesterday, there were several attempts made to move towards Jantar Mantar,
04:54but none of them were successful.
04:56And eventually, the leaders from India block were detained,
04:59including leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha.
05:05You know, so a lot of commotion will be here in some time from now.
05:10We will see that Rahul Gandhi, Mr. Malikarjan Karge, Abhishek Banerjee of the AITC,
05:15all of these leaders will be coming here.
05:17So, will that mean that a Rajghat kind of route can be done,
05:23where they can make a symbolic message sent to people across the country,
05:28that the allegations that they have been making about Port Chori,
05:31or against, you know, Chief Election Commissioner, Mr. Gyanesh Kumar.
05:35So, will that be a symbolic protest today at Rajghat that is to be seen,
05:39or whether Rahul Gandhi and his team of opposition leaders from India block
05:44will decide to pull off another surprise for Delhi police
05:49and a challenge for Delhi police,
05:51and will that trigger another round of detention.
05:54But one thing is pretty sure.

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