New Delhi: As top leaders of the INDIA bloc gathered at Ramlila Maidan for a mega show of strength, All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary (Operations), KC Venugopal, on Sunday hailed the massive public turnout, stating that "not only Ramlila Maidan, but the entire Delhi is flooded with people."
Speaking to reporters here, Venugopal said that despite hurdles, people from across the country had arrived in the national capital to voice their support for the opposition alliance.
"Not only Ramlila Maidan, but the entire Delhi is flooded with people. People have come from every corner to stand united and send a resounding message," Venugopal said.
The rally at the historic Ramlila Maidan saw prominent leaders and cadre from multiple opposition parties converge in a united front against the central government, with stringent security deployment and traffic arrangements put in place across central Delhi.
Launching a sharp attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), Congress Lok Sabha MP Sardar Sher Singh Ghubaya on Sunday accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of "facilitating vote theft" in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and called for his immediate removal from office.
"Regarding Gyanesh Kumar, we believe he has facilitated the theft of votes in favour of the BJP, bypassed all laws and procedures, and caused great harm to the nation. He has effectively disenfranchised voters who intended to cast their ballots... That is why all our parties within the INDIA alliance have come together today to protest and demand the removal of Gyanesh Kumar. We are calling for action to be taken against him, ensuring that, moving forward, the voting process is conducted properly and votes are cast as intended.", he said.
Asserting that the INDIA alliance's joint protest will be unprecedented in scale, Congress Lok Sabha MP Varsha Gaikwad on Sunday stated that the mega rally at Ramlila Maidan will send an unequivocal nationwide message demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Speaking to ANI ahead of the opposition's massive gathering in the national capital, the Mumbai North Central MP emphasised that the demonstration reflects widespread public outrage.
"Today, you will witness a rally organised under the banner of the INDIA alliance, in which every Indian is set to participate. This will be a historic rally—a massive surge of people, the likes of which have never been seen before and will never be seen again—that will make it clear: Gyanesh Kumar must resign.", she said.
Earlier, ahead of joining the opposition INDIA bloc's 'Chalo Dilli' march at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Pointing to the recent Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council biennial election results, where the BJP won six seats and the SP secured five, Yadav mocked the ruling party's "double engine" slogan, saying it had collapsed into a "double zero" and a "double defeat" following alleged counting irregularities and recounts in key constituencies.
Taking direct aim at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the Election Commission of India (ECI), Yadav questioned the metrics behind the removal of millions of voters during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Akhilesh claimed that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has acknowledged that 1.27 crore (12.7 million) votes have decreased after the party's loss in MLC elections.
"The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh himself has admitted that 1.27 crore (12.7 million) votes have decreased. And when did he remember this? When they lost the MLC election. Those who used to boast about a 'double engine' ended up scoring a 'double zero' right there. And not just a double zero; alongside that double zero, they couldn't even accept defeat the first time. They colluded with the Election Commission and got a recount done. So think about it: double engine, double zero, and a double defeat in the very same election! And after all that, what are they suddenly claiming? That 1.27 crore votes don't belong to Hindus," he told reporters.
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