- 22 minutes ago
Opposition leaders from the INDIA bloc took out a protest march towards the Supreme Court in New Delhi demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the halting of the Special Intensive Revision exercise. Chief Justice of India Suryakant declined to meet the marching opposition leaders, noting that the issues raised were already subjudice and that meeting outside judicial procedures would breach the separation of powers. Undeterred, the leaders continued their march and submitted a formal petition before the apex court seeking to quash alleged irregularities by the Election Commission. Ground reports highlighted police barricading along Barakhamba Road and Bhagwan Das Road as leaders and civil society members joined the demonstration. During televised debates, BJP spokesperson Sanju Varma defended the electoral revision process, maintaining that voter deletions pertained to deceased, absent, shifted, and duplicate electors, while opposition representatives and activists alleged democratic rights were compromised through automated deletions. Congress leadership later addressed protesters, reaffirming plans to legally challenge the ongoing revision.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good evening, you're watching NewsTrack with me, Maria Shaquille.
00:03New week, same old war, Delhi remains a political battlefield.
00:07Only the fighters and the battleground keep changing day after day.
00:11The weekend was all about the Kokoro Janata Party.
00:13Today it was the Congress and other opposition leaders in the spotlight.
00:17Their mission, march to the Supreme Court.
00:20Meet the Chief Justice of India and submit a petition against the Election Commission.
00:26But before the opposition's march could gather steam, the CGI said no to the meeting.
00:33Chief Justice of India, Surya Khan, refused to meet opposition leaders,
00:37saying the issue they raised were already subjudice.
00:40Discussing pending cases outside the judicial process, he said,
00:44would violate the separation of powers and judicial propriety.
00:47But the opposition did not back down.
00:49It continued its march to the Supreme Court and later submitted a plea before the court.
00:54The opposition says it will continue its fight until the CEC resigns and the special intensive revision is halted.
01:03I was on the ground, speaking to leaders who are marching today about their demands,
01:09their next move and the road ahead.
01:11Here's my special report from the ground and then I bring in the guests.
01:14Right behind us is actually those buses in which there are India Bloc MPs and other leaders who are present.
01:24There are two buses in all.
01:26We have been following them and it becomes very, very clear that they have decided
01:32that this will be a slow movement towards Barakamba Road.
01:36Remember, this is a concern that the India Bloc has been raising.
01:40They are of the opinion that the functioning of an independent constitutional authority in the election commission is questionable.
01:49It's not transparent that the election commission of India must be answerable,
01:55must hold a press conference and answer to all those questions which have been raised by the Indian Express report
02:02and by the opposition leaders who say that the special intensive revision has been done with a malicious intent.
02:10But the larger question is clear, that there are questions with regards to the functioning of the election commission.
02:16The election commission's functioning is on the radar.
02:19This is a show of strength today.
02:21This is a show of representation of the Indians who are living in this country.
02:27This is a show of showing, giving them assurance that we are going to fight for them,
02:32that we represent them and their voice should be heard here.
02:35And this brute force here and declaring us unlawful is a clear show of violation of anything that's constitutional
02:45and the disrespect to the Supreme Court which this government is showing.
02:49Despite Supreme Court's rulings, they have violated and they blame us.
02:55You ask about SAR, they filed an FIR.
02:58One Gyanesh is more than Bharat Desh.
03:00All of you are here.
03:02This is clearly a message that is going now,
03:05that the India Bloc, which has been holding protests, is not one-off.
03:08This is going to be a continuous fight.
03:10I'll tell you, it is not only India Bloc.
03:14The opening line of my preamble reads,
03:16we the people of India, and that's the reality.
03:19So this is a Chalo Dilli call given by the citizens of India, you are saying?
03:22The citizens of India.
03:23And they are determining.
03:25A notification has been issued that Jantar Mantar is no longer a protest ground.
03:30If the protest can be held, it has to be outside.
03:33The situation of this country is such that wherever people come out,
03:37that will become the protest site.
03:39The protest site is the mind and heart of every single Indian today.
03:43That's the kind of anger people have against Narendra Modi.
03:46What is going to be the Congress Party and India Bloc?
03:49Because this is a united India Bloc that we are seeing.
03:52We are the articulators of the anger of the people of India.
03:57That can't be stopped.
03:58As Rahul Gandhi said in his press conference,
04:01they will continue to take this up because the Supreme Court,
04:05and they will be petitioning before the court.
04:08You can see those leaders holding those placards,
04:11saying that Gyanesh Kumar must resign.
04:13This is about no voter left behind.
04:15Let the people's vote be counted.
04:17They are raising slogans, using their flag, tricolor,
04:22that they are, you know, and you can see them.
04:25Now you, now right next to them is that vehicle,
04:28which has the entire India Bloc leadership.
04:31Now that bus is actually moving ahead on the Bhagwandas Road,
04:36even as we say that the point of confrontation is only getting moved or pushed away,
04:41it is becoming clear that the police is allowing them to cross all barricades,
04:46and that this Bhagwandas Road that is seeing a sudden surge of the supporters of the India Bloc
04:53is also seeing images such as that that we saw,
04:57where the Pindar Huda and others had gotten on to the top of the Delhi police vehicle.
05:04Sir, you are walking along with other leaders.
05:07What exactly is the demand, sir?
05:09Our demand should be a repoll, dismissal of that election commissioner,
05:20and see that postal ballot will start.
05:25You are demanding that the CEC, Mr. Gyanesh Kumar, be dismissed?
05:29Yes, of course, he has to be dismissed.
05:31Repoll has to be organized in all those states where they have won through FCR.
05:36But Mr. D.K. Shibkumar, the Congress part, the BJP says that you raise the issue of vote theory
05:42only when you lose elections, but in the states such as Karnataka or in Kerala,
05:47when you have won elections, you don't say that.
05:50In spite of their vote theory, our people have given us a mandate.
05:55It is a petition which seeks the quashing of all the illegal acts, all the bad decisions.
06:02It seeks fairness, a level playing field.
06:06It seeks proper one person, one vote.
06:10And it will be taken up tomorrow.
06:11It seeks contempt, action against the way police has stopped protests, etc., etc.
06:17Dr. Singhvi, the fact is that the Congress is running a sustained campaign against the
06:23Chief Election Commissioner, but the Chief Election Commissioner can be impeached.
06:28The process for removal of the Chief Election Commissioner is essentially an impeachment.
06:32This has nothing to do with impeachment.
06:35This is to deal with the irregularities and illegality that the EC and it's questioned.
06:39The Indian Youth Congress, NSUI, the left-wing youth groups are all present here.
06:46There has been massive mobilization on this entire Barakamba Road, where this protest march
06:55will finally move.
06:57What happens now is that there are barricades that have been put up.
07:01Throughout this entire street, there was deployment of police, but the barricades were removed for
07:07the buses to move, for the supporters and workers of the Congress Party or India Bloc to move ahead.
07:14A number of them also carrying the picture of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation.
07:20The message is also of what the country and the principles that India stands for, which
07:30is for democracy, as India Bloc has been saying, that the Chief Election Commissioner has much
07:36to explain in terms of the accountability and the functioning of the Election Commission
07:42and how they feel that millions have been denied the right to vote because their names were deleted
07:49in the special intensive revision.
07:51I'm not from Congress.
07:53I'm just a voter of this country.
07:55You have covered your face?
07:57Yeah, because I don't want to lose my job.
07:59But what brings you here?
08:00So basically my constitutional rights and the love for my country.
08:06Okay.
08:07Why do you say constitutional rights?
08:09Because voting is my right.
08:11And frankly speaking, by this SIR and all, they are literally snatching my vote.
08:16On both the sides of the street are the presence of their cadres and workers.
08:22There are also others who have joined in, which are the members of civil society, other activists
08:27who can be all seen.
08:30And several citizens also that we have spoken to are also speaking about what they say is
08:37the need for accountability of the Election Commission.
08:40The BJP on its side says that Rahul Gandhi and India Bloc doesn't speak about vote chori
08:48or the rights of citizens being snatched away.
08:53They don't question the Election Commission or the process of electioneering when it is
08:59they winning elections, be it in the state of Kerala or India Bloc winning election in other states.
09:09in other states.
09:10But it is becoming clear that when it is about the BJP winning elections, say in Assam or others,
09:17they raise questions of the rights of citizens being snatched away,
09:22how there has been deletion from electoral rolls as well.
09:29So that's what played out today.
09:32A lot of support that came also organically for the Congress Party.
09:36That was evident on ground as well.
09:39Citizens, members of civil society, but clearly coming out in support of what they saw was
09:47a need for demand of accountability on the part of an independent constitution body,
09:54such as the Election Commission.
09:56Joining me on the show is Sanju Varma, national spokesperson of the BJP.
09:59And we have Vijay Reddy, who is the spokesperson of the CJP.
10:04Ms. Sanju Varma, let me begin by asking you, what is becoming evidently clear is that this
10:11is no longer just a political issue.
10:13It is also, and that should worry the BJP, is becoming an issue of the citizens as well.
10:20You know, Maria, I believe very strongly that criticism is fine, even condemnation is fine.
10:26But there is a very thin line between condemnation and abusing a constitutional authority in wild language.
10:35Has Rahul Gandhi been able to provide a shred of evidence on CEC Gyanesh Kumar violating the constitution?
10:42No. Has Saurav Das, who says,
10:45we will see the Supreme Court, we will see the Election Commission, we will see the Gyanesh Kumar, we will
10:50see the Dhillie police,
10:51has he been able to provide any shred of evidence against Gyanesh Kumar?
10:57No.
10:57So my simple logic is, allegations, assumptions, conjectures, guesstimates cannot be a substitute for credible proof,
11:07point number one, and very quickly without being verbose.
11:11Let's get one thing very clear, Maria, I've said this often, but I will reinforce on your debate.
11:16Since this figure of 13 crore voters being deleted has been doing the rounds,
11:20let's get one thing very clear, 2.8 crore are dead voters, 3 crore are absentees,
11:276.3 crore had permanently shifted, and 1 crore were duplicate voters.
11:32So my simple question to the other side is, do you want dead, duplicate voters to be a part of
11:39the electoral rolls?
11:40No.
11:41The same Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who's today at the forefront of this so-called street-style protest,
11:47in 2018, it is publicly documented, he said there are 5.050 lakh fake voters in Andhra Pradesh,
11:55they should be deleted.
11:57Today, when 43 lakh fake voters in Andhra Pradesh have been deleted as part of the SIR process,
12:03Abhishek Manu Singhvi says, SIR is illegal.
12:05The same Ramesh Yanithalla, a senior congress leader from Kerala,
12:10said there are 5.7 lakh fake voters in Kerala.
12:13Today, when we have deleted voters from Kerala, who are dead and deceased,
12:18Ramesh Yanithalla says SIR is illegal.
12:20I mean, your question was right in 2014, in 2015.
12:25But the same leaders like Sibbal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi,
12:28who said SIR is legal in 2015-2018,
12:31today have a problem with the...
12:33Vijay Reddy, of course, yours is a pressure group, very different,
12:36but because Ms. Sanju Verma has brought in Saurav Das, your own co-convener,
12:42what exactly is the issue with the process of SIR that the CJP is raising?
12:51One is it's being done in a very undemocratic manner.
12:54The BLOs who actually have the authority of adding and deleting votes,
12:58that's being snatched away and that's being given to a software.
13:02We don't trust a software, we trust the persons on ground.
13:05When BLOs themselves are saying that they're unable to add people,
13:08when the election commissioner of Goa himself has claimed
13:11that I was trying to add 97 people, yet the software is being rejecting.
13:15And when the software is generating printed Form 7s that we have seen
13:19that were also distributed in Mushirabad constituency
13:21and in Bangalore, in Hyderabad, Mushirabad, when I say,
13:25where BJP is receiving mass Form 7, that Form 7 is for deletions.
13:30So these are not any, you know, simple allegations that we are making.
13:38We are making them with proofs.
13:39When in Bengal, you have deleted close to 33 lakh
13:42and then out of which close to 20 lakh or odd have actually appealed for.
13:47So what happened to those votes?
13:49And when they say that we are deleting votes of people
13:51who are not the citizens of the country,
13:53have you furnished how many non-citizens are there?
13:55Have you taken to the court saying that these many people are non-citizens?
13:59Well, that was not established.
14:00Now, when all of this is happening, as citizens,
14:03we have had the right to protest, right?
14:05And as you can see, first they say that you have not given us the intimation.
14:10That's basically, and then we said, okay, we'll satisfy your ego.
14:14And then we go to the Parliament Street police station today.
14:17And then we say that,
14:18give us a date to sit in a Jantar Mantar.
14:22Immediately after that, there comes a memo, a standing order stating that
14:26Jantar Mantar is no longer the designated detention, protest site.
14:31I mean, this shows how rattled BJP is.
14:33This shows how scared BJP is.
14:35And all of this is to save one person,
14:38save one person who has misused and abused the constitutional body.
14:41Sanju Barmaji is just saying that how your words are bad.
14:44I'm going to come in and bring that specific point that has been made.
14:49Jantar Mantar, you know, one would say,
14:52occupies a very distinctive position in India's democratic geography, Sanju Barma.
14:58Over decades, we have seen that as a designated protest site
15:01where farmers, students, pensioners, you know,
15:05civil society groups have all held protests.
15:08And today it has been denotified as a protest site.
15:12You know, Maria, I'm not just the national spokesperson of BJP.
15:16I'm a thinking individual.
15:18I'm a common citizen like everybody else.
15:21And I just wear many hats.
15:23And today, as a commoner, let me just say one thing.
15:26It is the prerogative of the Delhi police
15:29to denotify Jantar Mantar as a protest site.
15:33Point number one.
15:35Point number two.
15:35Saurabh Das says,
15:37We give him a hat to Narendra Modi.
15:42Ashutosh Ranka says,
15:43This Narendra Modi is a terror.
15:45Abhijit Dipke says,
15:46This Modi is a Hitler.
15:48Excuse me.
15:49Who the hell do Abhijit Dipke, Saurabh Das and Ashutosh Ranka think they are?
15:55Do they represent Gen Z?
15:57Do they represent the U of this country?
15:59No.
16:00Has Ashutosh Ranka, Saurabh Das or Abhijit Dipke,
16:03Has any of them won a single society election?
16:08Society election is not a chance to win.
16:11You have made your soul.
16:15You have made your voice.
16:16Let me remind you.
16:18What happened 72 hours back?
16:20When Saurabh Das was being taken away by Delhi police,
16:23there were commoners inside the plane who said,
16:26Shame on you.
16:28That's the sentiment against cockroach.
16:29Okay, Vijay Raji.
16:31So, you said,
16:32Who the hell are we?
16:33We are the current generation of this country
16:35who is tired and sick of BJP.
16:37And we are those commoners
16:39who gave some hope to the nation
16:40and thousands and lakhs of people have showed up at Jantar Mantar
16:44to expose the double standards that BJP has been deploying all these years.
16:47Can you share one instance
16:50when a civil society organization
16:51has mobilized so many people organically?
16:54We have not arranged any bus.
16:56We have not arranged any train.
16:57Rather, they came here for the only single reason
17:00because of how indemocratically you are behaving.
17:04Ms. Sanju Verma,
17:05please remember,
17:06this India runs by the preamble
17:08which says that we, the Indians, secure...
17:13The preamble says India is a socialist,
17:15All right, Vijay Raji and Sanju Verma,
17:17I appreciate your time.
17:18There's a piece of breaking news.
17:20There's a piece of breaking news
17:21which is coming in now.
17:23Rahul Gandhi has thanked the protesters
17:25for joining today's protest.
17:27He has said, and I'm quoting him,
17:29and I'll be running that video in just a bit.
17:31Today was a very important day
17:32because we needed to show the government
17:34that people of India are not going to be intimidated.
17:37You cannot beat us, threaten us, frighten us.
17:40We will not accept being bullied.
17:42Rahul Gandhi saying,
17:43I was wondering where the cowards of the RSS
17:45who were beating the young children
17:47day before yesterday were.
17:49Let's listen in to what Rahul Gandhi said.
17:55I'd like to thank every single person
17:58who came out for this protest.
18:02I'd also like to thank the millions of people
18:06who showed support in their own way
18:10at 3 o'clock.
18:12The leaders of India bloc,
18:14all the workers of the Congress party,
18:17workers of the India bloc,
18:19this was a very important thing
18:21because we needed to show the government
18:23that the people of India
18:25are not going to be intimidated.
18:27You cannot beat us,
18:29you cannot threaten us,
18:30you cannot frighten us.
18:32Because we will not accept being bullied.
18:36I was wondering when I was on the bus there,
18:40where the cowards of the RSS
18:43who were beating the young children
18:45day before yesterday were.
18:47Where were those people?
18:48Because I didn't see them.
18:49When we are standing there
18:52and when the people of India are standing there,
18:55why don't you come out?
18:56Why don't you wear your little scarves
18:58and come out and see what happens?
18:59Because you're essentially
19:02like the Prime Minister of India.
19:04Bullies.
19:05You cannot stand up.
19:07You can only use power to fight.
19:10So it's very heartening to see what happened.
19:14I'm proud of everybody.
19:16Everybody worked like a team.
19:17As I said in my press conference,
19:19there are no parallel protests.
19:20There is one protest
19:22and it's a protest
19:23where everybody is standing together.
19:26Every single person
19:27is going to stand against
19:28these killers of our constitution,
19:31these killers of our democracy
19:32and we're not going to back down.
19:35I'd also like to thank everybody
19:38from civil society organizations
19:40who came, supported us.
19:43We value your support
19:44and we love all of you.
19:47Thank you, thank you, thank you
19:49for coming out
19:50and defending the idea of India,
19:53the idea of the constitution,
19:55the idea of our democracy.
19:57I'm extremely proud
19:59of every single person
20:00who came out on the streets.
20:03And let me bring in Congress MP
20:05Renuka Chowdhury
20:06who was there on Ground Zero.
20:08Ms. Chowdhury,
20:09I appreciate your time.
20:10You were there on Ground Zero today
20:11during protests.
20:12I spoke to you as well.
20:13Petition has been filed
20:14in the Apex Court.
20:16How is the Congress
20:17looking at sustaining this fight
20:19against the CEC
20:20and the Election Commission?
20:21What will you be doing
20:23in the next few days
20:24to sustain this?
20:28I think you must have realized
20:30by now even the media
20:31that it's taken on
20:33a life of its own.
20:35It did from day one.
20:38And different aspects
20:39of this vote chowdhury
20:41has been going on.
20:43Rahul Gandhi has been raising this
20:45for the past three years,
20:46almost.
20:48And so it's taken on
20:50a life of its own
20:51because citizens are horrified
20:54that they've been disenfranchised,
20:59they can't vote.
21:01Something which this nation
21:02gave them from day one
21:04of independence.
21:05Something which so-called advanced
21:09other countries didn't
21:10give their women
21:11the right to vote.
21:14So it's horrific.
21:15It's we are going to do
21:17our best
21:19and we will fight
21:21till the last
21:22till we get
21:23what we have to.
21:25So in this petition
21:26which has been filed
21:27by Rahul Gandhi
21:28and other India Bloc leaders
21:29is that the ongoing
21:31SIR exercise
21:33must be put on hold,
21:35that it should be stayed.
21:36The Election Commission
21:37has restored
21:38original Form 6 format.
21:40What next in this fight
21:41against the
21:42special intensive revision map?
21:46We are missing the woods
21:47for the trees.
21:49Form 6 has been withdrawn now.
21:51What about all those
21:53lakhs of crores of people
21:54who have lost their right
21:55to vote
21:57because of Form 6?
21:59How many have lost
22:01their rights?
22:02And there was a
22:03Form 7 discrepancies
22:05even in Form 7
22:07that was happening.
22:09So they just can't say
22:10okay, now we've changed
22:11the rule
22:12just like they've changed
22:13Jantar Mantar
22:14as a protest area.
22:15Now we've decided
22:16that this is not it.
22:17So you don't have
22:18any complaint.
22:19You shouldn't have
22:20any complaint
22:21and so then
22:22nothing's happened.
22:23It doesn't work
22:24like that.
22:25You have humiliated
22:27this great country
22:28of ours
22:29in the eyes
22:30of the world.
22:31You have admitted
22:33to
22:33it's tacit
22:34understanding
22:35if you have
22:35withdrawn this
22:36that there were
22:37aberrations in it.
22:39You have
22:40given clarity
22:41that yes
22:43you have
22:43it's an error
22:45of judgment.
22:48So what is
22:49your problem now?
22:51Now you just
22:51want us to forget it
22:52and go back
22:53and sit quietly
22:54and say yes sir
22:55no sir
22:56three bags full sir.
22:57It doesn't work
22:58like that.
23:00Unless we
23:01take this up
23:01and pursue it
23:02to its right end
23:04and we restore
23:06the confidence
23:07which is going
23:07to be very tough
23:09to the citizens
23:11that listen
23:13here's your
23:14most valuable
23:15thing that you
23:16have on earth.
23:17The biggest
23:18leveler
23:19that the day
23:20the election
23:20runs
23:21everybody
23:22the millionaire
23:23the multi-millionaire
23:24the ordinary
23:25person
23:25the middle class
23:26the student
23:27who's 18
23:30everybody's
23:31equal in the
23:32eyes of the
23:32nation and
23:33law.
23:34You can vote.
23:36It's the most
23:37amazing weapon
23:38it is the most
23:39amazing magic wand
23:42that equalizes
23:43everyone.
23:45So why should you
23:45keep going?
23:46Why is it now
23:47the matter is over?
23:48It's not.
23:51My last question
23:53and this certainly
23:53will be seen as
23:54an embarrassment
23:55for your party.
23:56the Kerala
23:57Congress's tweet
23:58which in which
23:59they said
23:59CGI Sudeikans
24:01should resign.
24:02Now you have
24:03the Supreme Court
24:04Advocates Association
24:05all of them
24:06strongly condemning
24:08it.
24:08Shouldn't there be
24:09caution on the
24:10part of the
24:10Congress
24:11why demand
24:12the resignation
24:12of the Chief
24:13Justice of India?
24:18It's not just
24:19the Congress
24:20there's sometimes
24:21the enthusiasm
24:22carries us forward
24:23in many ways
24:24and many directions
24:25and it's right
24:26for them to say
24:27that exercise
24:28caution
24:29and it will be
24:31exercise
24:32that's it
24:33but they must
24:34remember
24:35if it's not us
24:36someone else
24:37is going to say
24:37things like this
24:38so we've all
24:40got to collectively
24:41restore
24:42the confidence
24:43of the nation
24:44that the courts
24:45are strong
24:46and independent
24:47that they will
24:47conduct themselves
24:48today for example
24:50has been a wild
24:51aberration
24:52Supreme Court
24:53had given
24:54clear-cut
24:54instructions
24:55about this
24:56agitation
24:56in the center
24:57they said
24:58that the government
24:59had no right
25:00or authority
25:00to barricade roads
25:03remove the
25:04internet
25:06harass people
25:07pick them up
25:08has the government
25:10complied?
25:11have they complied?
25:13not at all
25:15they have violated
25:16every law
25:19and today
25:20the capital
25:21of this country
25:22is under siege
25:23by its own
25:24government
25:28and it's not
25:29a nice thing
25:29for us to say
25:30but then
25:31where do we go?
25:33where do we go?
25:34this is a fact
25:34the world is watching
25:37they are watching
25:38how the police
25:39want it
25:39how the courts
25:40conduct themselves
25:41how justice
25:42is dressed up
25:43how democracy
25:44sustains itself
25:46and in such
25:48an upheaval
25:48uprise
25:49there are
25:50bound to be
25:51aberrations
25:52here and there
25:53but that's not
25:54it's not enough
25:55that somebody
25:56gets up and
25:57says that
25:57they disapprove
25:58of this
25:59of course
25:59they will say
26:00it
26:00and it's okay
26:01we respect
26:02the chief justice
26:03of India
26:05and we look
26:06forward that
26:06he will restore
26:07this balance
26:09all right
26:10Riniko Chowdhury
26:11appreciate your time
26:11thank you for
26:12joining us
26:13that's all from me
26:13on this edition
26:14of News Track
26:14thanks so much
26:15for watching