Bhubaneswar: Delhi witnessed two parallel political protests on Saturday, with the INDIA bloc holding a rally at Ramlila Maidan against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral irregularities, while the BJP organised a march demanding an apology from the Congress for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
At the INDIA bloc rally, leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called for action against the Chief Election Commissioner. They also demanded an end to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the process was being used to facilitate vote theft.
Meanwhile, the BJP held a march from Hari Nagar to Tilak Nagar, pressing the Congress to apologise for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The march formed part of the party’s criticism of the Congress over its handling of the violence.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP MP Sambit Patra also criticised the INDIA bloc rally, questioning its timing and turnout. The two protests highlighted the continuing political confrontation between the ruling BJP and opposition parties over electoral processes and the Congress’s historical record.
The allegations raised by the INDIA bloc and the BJP’s demands were part of the parties’ respective political campaigns.
-OdishaAge
