New Delhi [India], October 5 : Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal on Monday announced a nationwide ‘Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao’ campaign from October 10 against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission, asserting that the party’s agitation over alleged “vote theft” will continue until the CEC is removed and the electoral system is corrected.
Addressing a press conference after a meeting of Congress general secretaries, in-charges, PCC presidents and frontal organisations, Venugopal said Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had given clear directions for an aggressive campaign against alleged irregularities in the electoral process.
“Congress President has given a clear direction today to the PCC Presidents, In-charges, and General Secretaries for an aggressive, nationwide campaign against vote theft - 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao'. This is the slogan we are raising,” he said.
Venugopal said the campaign would be taken from the grassroots to the national level.
“Rahul Gandhi ji, Honourable LOP, has also given clear directions to our leaders that this agitation is not going to end tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. This will be a continuous, aggressive campaign till Gyanesh Kumar is removed and the system has to be corrected,” he said.
The Congress leader also criticised the Election Commission over the ongoing controversy surrounding Form 6 and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
“You know the Election Commission has become the 'Cheating Commission of India'. After this much - after this much observation from the Supreme Court and the opposition parties, and two Commissioners' remarks also, he is misleading the people,” Venugopal said.
“Rule 6 amendment - today I think the Supreme Court has given an observation about the Rule 6 amendment also, which he is completely misleading the country. Saying something and doing something,” he added.
The Supreme Court on Monday made it clear that it had not approved any modified version of Form 6, used for enrolling new voters during SIR. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said, “Any modified Form 6 has not been approved by us. Let's be clear. When the record is produced, we would like to see who has modified.”
The Supreme Court also refused to pass an ex-parte interim order seeking suspension of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and issued notices to the Centre, ECI, Kumar and other officials.
Outlining the Congress campaign, Venugopal said the first phase would include district-level demonstrations and ‘Save Democracy’ marches from October 2 to 8 in coordination with INDIA bloc partners.
“The second phase of the campaign Congress is doing is from 10th to 20th. October 10th to 20th, we are starting a campaign "Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao",” Venugopal said.
He said block-level programmes would include bike rallies, cycle rallies or padyatras.
“All over India, it will happen. Thousands of workers in each block will participate in this march demanding this thing, and we will burn the effigies of Gyanesh Kumar,” Venugopal said.
He added that Congress workers would distribute pamphlets detailing what the party calls “vote chori” during public gatherings, including Navratri celebrations.
The third phase, from October 25 to November 25, will focus on village-level chaupals and identifying people whose names the party alleges have been deleted from electoral rolls.
“You know, our karyakartas, we are naming them 'Vote Rakshaks'. Our Vote Rakshaks will go to the houses of the people, those who are deleted from the voters list, and we will have a chaupal in village level with these deleted voters' people,” he said.
Venugopal said the campaign would culminate in several major programmes in Delhi, including a massive rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1 and six ‘Chalo Delhi’ yatras on November 25 and 26.
“November 1st will be the biggest rally going to be held in Delhi,” he said.
“November 25 and 26, we are having six yatras from nearby places of Delhi. Six yatras, a massive yatra, 'Chalo Delhi' program,” Venugopal added.
He further announced a Congress protest march from Parliament to the Election Commission on Tuesday and urged police to allow MPs to proceed peacefully.
“Tomorrow, there will be a protest march from Parliament to the Election Commission of India. Everything is prepared. We are asking the police not to stop us. Our aim is to have a peaceful demonstration to show the protest against the Election Commission of India,” he said.
Venugopal also alleged that the Prime Minister and Amit Shah were the only two people supporting Gyanesh Kumar and reiterated that Congress would continue its campaign seeking his removal.
“Every person of India wants to remove the Chief Election Commissioner. Only two people want to retain him - Prime Minister and Amit Shah,” he said.
“Therefore, our request to everybody is that we are doing a peaceful protest tomorrow from Parliament to the Election Commission of India,” Venugopal added.