00:00Delhi remains a political battlefield. Only the fighters and the battleground keep changing day after day.
00:06The weekend was all about the Kokoro Janata Party. Today, it was the Congress and other opposition leaders in the
00:11spotlight.
00:12Their mission, march to the Supreme Court, meet the Chief Justice of India and submit a petition against the Election
00:21Commission.
00:22But before the opposition's march could gather steam, the CGI said no to the meeting.
00:27Chief Justice of India Surya Kant refused to meet opposition leaders, saying the issue they raised were already subjudice.
00:35Discussing pending cases outside the judicial process, he said, would violate the separation of powers and judicial propriety.
00:42But the opposition did not back down. It continued its march to the Supreme Court and later submitted a plea
00:48before the court.
00:49The opposition says it will continue its fight until the CEC resigns and the special intensive revision is halted.
00:58I was on the ground speaking to leaders who are marching today about their demands, their next move and the
01:05road ahead.
01:06Here's my special report from the ground and then I bring in the guests.
01:09Right behind us is actually those buses in which there are India Bloc MPs and other leaders who are present.
01:19There are two buses in all. We have been following them and it becomes very, very clear that they have
01:26decided that this will be a slow movement towards Barakamba Road.
01:31Remember, this is a concern that the India Bloc has been raising.
01:35They are of the opinion that the functioning of an independent constitutional authority in the Election Commission is questionable.
01:44It's not transparent that the Election Commission of India must be answerable, must hold a press conference,
01:51an answer to all those questions which have been raised by the Indian Express Report and by the opposition leaders
01:59who say that the special intensive revision has been done with a malicious intent.
02:05But the larger question is clear that there are questions with regards to the functioning of the Election Commission.
02:11The Election Commission's functioning is on the radar.
02:14This is a show of strength today?
02:16This is a show of that representation of the Indians who are living in this country.
02:21This is a show of showing, giving them assurance that we are going to fight for them, that we represent
02:28them and their voice should be heard here.
02:30And this is, this brute force here and declaring us unlawful is a clear show of violation of anything that's
02:39constitutional.
02:40And the disrespect to the Supreme Court, which this government is showing, despite Supreme Court's rulings, they have violated and
02:48they blame us.
02:49You ask about SAR, they filed an FIR.
02:53One Gyanesh is more than Bharat Desh.
02:55All of you are here.
02:57This is clearly a message that is going now that the India Bloc, which has been holding protest, is not
03:02one-off.
03:03This is going to be a continuous fight.
03:05I'll tell you, it is not only India Bloc.
03:09The opening line of my preamble reads, we the people of India, and that's the reality.
03:14So this is a Chalo Dilli call given by the citizens of India, you are saying?
03:17Citizens of India.
03:18And they are threatening.
03:20A notification has been issued that Jantar Mantar is no longer a protest ground.
03:24If the protest can be held, it has to be outside.
03:27Now the situation of this country is such that wherever people come out, that will become the protest side.
03:33The protest side is the mind and heart of every single Indian today.
03:38That's the kind of anger people have against Narendra Modi.
03:40What is going to be the Congress Party and India Bloc?
03:44Because this is a united India Bloc that we are seeing.
03:46We are the articulators of the anger of the people of India.
03:52That can't be stopped.
03:53As Rahul Gandhi said in his press conference, they will continue to take this up because the Supreme Court and
04:01they will be petitioning before the court.
04:03You can see those leaders holding those placards, saying that Ganesh Kumar must resign.
04:08This is about no voter left behind.
04:10Let the people's vote be counted.
04:12They are raising slogans, using their flag, tricolor, that they are, you know, and you can see them.
04:19Now you, now right next to them is that vehicle which has the entire India Bloc leadership.
04:26Now that bus is actually moving ahead on the Bhagwandas Road, even as we say that the point of confrontation
04:33is only getting moved or pushed away.
04:36It is becoming clear that the police is allowing them to cross all barricades and that this Bhagwandas Road that
04:43is seeing a sudden surge of the supporters of the India Bloc is also seeing images such as that that
04:51we saw where the Pinder Huda and others had gotten on to the top of the Delhi police vehicle.
04:59Sir, you are walking along with other leaders.
05:02What exactly is the demand, sir?
05:04Our demand should be a repoll, dismissal of that election commissioner and see that postal ballot will start.
05:20You are demanding that the CEC, Mr. Gyanesh Kumar, be dismissed?
05:24Yes, of course, he has to be dismissed. Repoll has to be organized in all those states where they have
05:30won through FCR.
05:31But, Mr. Gyanesh Kumar, the Congress part, the BJP says that you raise the issue of vote theory only when
05:38you lose elections.
05:39But in the states such as Karnataka or in Kerala, when you have won elections, you don't say that.
05:45In spite of their vote theory, our people have given us a mandate.
05:50It is a petition which seeks the quashing of all the illegal acts, all the bad decisions.
05:57It seeks fairness, a level playing field.
06:01It seeks proper one person, one vote.
06:04And it will be taken up tomorrow.
06:06It seeks contempt, action against the way police has stopped protests, etc.
06:11Dr. Singhvi, the fact is that the Congress is running a sustained campaign against the Chief Election Commissioner.
06:20But the Chief Election Commissioner can be impeached.
06:23The process for removal of the Chief Election Commissioner is essentially an impeachment.
06:27This has nothing to do with impeachment.
06:29This is to deal with the irregularities and illegality that the EC and it's caution.
06:34The Indian Youth Congress, NSUI, the left-wing youth groups are all present here.
06:41There has been massive mobilization on this entire Barakamba Road, where this protest march will finally move.
06:52What happens now is that there are barricades that have been put up.
06:56Throughout this entire street, there was deployment of police.
06:59But the barricades were removed for the buses to move, for the supporters and workers of the Congress Party or
07:07India Bloc to move ahead.
07:09A number of them also carrying the picture of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation.
07:15The message is also of what the country and the principles that India stands for,
07:24which is for democracy, as India Bloc has been saying, that the Chief Election Commissioner has much to explain
07:31in terms of the accountability and the functioning of the Election Commission
07:36and how they feel that millions have been denied the right to vote
07:42because their names were deleted in the special intensive revision.
07:46I'm not from Congress. I'm just a voter of this country.
07:50You have covered your face?
07:52Yeah, because I don't want to lose my job.
07:54But what brings you here?
07:55So basically my constitutional rights and the love for my country.
08:01Why do you say constitutional rights?
08:03Because voting is my right and frankly speaking by this SIR and all, they are literally snatching my vote.
08:11Both the sides of the street are the presence of their cadres and workers.
08:16There are also others who have joined in, which are the members of civil society, other activists,
08:22who can be all seen and several citizens also that we have spoken to are also speaking about
08:31what they say is the need for accountability of the Election Commission.
08:35The BJP on its side says that Rahul Gandhi and India Bloc doesn't speak about vote chori or the rights
08:46of citizens being snatched away.
08:48They don't question the Election Commission or the process of electioneering when it is they winning elections,
08:56be it in the state of Kerala or, you know, India Bloc winning election in other states.
09:04In other states.
09:05But it is becoming clear that when it is about the BJP winning elections, say in Assam or others,
09:12they raise questions of the rights of citizens being snatched away,
09:17how there has been deletion from electoral rolls as well.
