00:00And let me go straight to P. Chidhamram, Senior Congress Leader and former Union Minister.
00:05Mr. Chidhamram, appreciate your time here on India today, sir.
00:09BJP leaders and several BJP ministers and chief ministers are alleging that there is
00:14a Bangladesh-style regime change plot through street mobilization.
00:19Does the Congress then unequivocally reject regime change through violent protests?
00:30We have never supported violent protests, nor do we aim to bring about a regime change
00:39through violence.
00:41We are a democratic party committed to Gandhian methods, protest, demonstration, and building
00:52public opinion against the government.
00:57Sir, in your tweet today, you have said that the SIR has been abandoned in the 17 remaining
01:03states and union territories, with only customary SSR taking place.
01:08Why are you saying so, sir?
01:10And what makes you think that the Election Commission has abandoned the special intensive
01:14revision?
01:18Because SIR and SSR can't go together.
01:25It's either SIR or SSR.
01:29SIR, I've got the numbers, was conducted in three phases.
01:36The first phase was only in Bihar.
01:40The second phase was in nine states.
01:46The third phase was in 16 states.
01:50So totally about 26 states the SIR was conducted.
01:56Now they have announced an SSR.
01:59SSR, summary revision, is the usual customary method.
02:06It is updated every year on January 1 in all states.
02:11That has been going on for several years.
02:14They have announced an SSR, which means they are not going to do an SIR.
02:22Both can't go together.
02:27Mr. Chitamram, if you are saying that the SIR has been abandoned, the BJP, let me talk about
02:33that, sir, says that the opposition's campaign goes beyond electoral reforms.
02:38Where do you draw the line between legitimate protest against alleged electoral malpractice
02:44and attempts to destabilize an elected government?
02:51The government will destabilize itself.
02:55There are already voices within the BJP questioning the support to the chief election commissioner.
03:04We can hear the voices and we have heard several state chief electoral officers appointed by their ECI
03:18and supported by their government speak out.
03:22Therefore, we don't have to do anything to destabilize the government.
03:27We have to only build the public opinion and public opinion is gathering strength.
03:35See, young people are protesting.
03:38Their minds are protesting.
03:40Their hearts are protesting.
03:43The parents and elders and the family are supporting the young people.
03:49Therefore, when young people protest, nothing can stop them.
03:54We are committed to peaceful protests.
03:57We are committed to demonstrations.
04:01We are committed to nonviolence.
04:05So, why should the BJP attribute violence and violent protest to us?
04:14We have never indulged in violence.
04:17We are carrying on peaceful protests.
04:23Mr. Chidhamram, today AISA chief Neha Bora and CJP founder Bijit Dipke have been detained.
04:30And there is heavy police deployment.
04:33That's what we saw in Connaught Place.
04:36What is going to be the opposition's strategy, sir?
04:39Because how do you ensure that this fight over special intensive revision remains focused on electoral accountability
04:47and does not get subsumed by a larger confrontation?
04:56Mr. Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition and other political leaders of various parties
05:04have filed a comprehensive petition in the Supreme Court bringing together all the arguments,
05:12all the aspects of the misdeeds of the chief election commissioner and the election commission of India.
05:23As a response to that petition and as a response to the notice issued yesterday by the Supreme Court,
05:32that according to me, and let the ECI deny it, the BJP should not speak for the ECI,
05:43the SIR has been abandoned after 26 states.
05:4826 states, the SIR removed 13 crore 30 lakh votes.
05:56That is the subject matter of a petition in the Supreme Court.
06:02The Supreme Court has already asked questions orally.
06:06They will ask more questions, I assume, and then all that will be exposed.
06:14Now, the ECI, according to me, has abandoned the SIR and has switched over to the SSR.
06:23Why is the BJP explaining the ECI's action?
06:27It is the ECI should explain its actions and should justify its actions.
06:36Why did it conduct SIR in 26 states?
06:40Why did it switch over to the customary SSR in the remaining states?
06:45According to me, according to one newspaper report,
06:49the remaining 17 states and some union territories will go through the customary SSR.
06:56It's for the ECI to explain why is the BJP appointing itself as a spokesman of the ECI.
07:05Point taken, sir.
07:06But, sir, since you're talking about the petition before the Supreme Court,
07:09if the Supreme Court addresses the concerns over SIR,
07:13will the Congress accept the outcome
07:15or will the demand for the CEC's resignation continue regardless?
07:24This is...
07:25We are in a court.
07:27We can't say all our arguments will be accepted.
07:32Some arguments will be accepted.
07:35Some arguments may not be accepted.
07:37It's a court of law.
07:39A court of law is based on law, procedure, evidence, due process.
07:45I can't comment on the proceedings in the Supreme Court.
07:50But I hope that the Supreme Court,
07:53and I fervently hope that the Supreme Court
07:56will expose the SIR for what it is.
08:00It was a mischievous attempt.
08:02It is an illegal attempt to exclude 13 crore,
08:0730 lakh voters,
08:09including some lakhs who were dead.
08:14So, my last question,
08:16what is the Congress Party's endgame?
08:19Is it to secure transparent voter rolls and electoral reform,
08:24or to turn the SIR controversy
08:26into a larger political campaign against the government?
08:32See, it's not...
08:34It's starting with the SIR.
08:37We are fighting for freedom.
08:40We are fighting for the fundamental rights of India's citizens.
08:45SIR is only one aspect of the fundamental freedoms,
08:51the right to vote.
08:53But there are other issues.
08:56The right to assemble,
08:59the right to speak,
09:01the right to write,
09:03the right to protest.
09:05All that will follow.
09:11Mr. P. Chidamaram,
09:13always a pleasure speaking to you, sir.
09:15Thank you for your time.
09:16Thank you for speaking to India today.
