Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party–Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) and Congress have backed the October 4 protest march called by the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
According to a Hindustan Times report, NCP-SP leader Supriya Sule and Congress leader Nana Patole have announced their participation in the protest. Their decision comes after Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray formally invited Opposition parties to join the march.
March to begin from Byculla at 10 am
At a joint press conference earlier this week, the Thackeray leaders announced that the march would begin from Richardson Cruddas in Byculla at 10 am on October 4 and proceed to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).
Raj said the march is expected to reach the BMC headquarters at around 11-11.30 am. He has described it as an apolitical “Jan Morcha” and said participants would carry the national Tricolour instead of party flags.
The protest has been called amid allegations over the Election Commission's handling of the SIR exercise. However, the Election Commission has taken steps in recent days to address concerns surrounding the electoral-roll revision process.
Patole calls for people's movement
Speaking about the protest, Patole said it should go beyond political parties and become a broader people's movement.
“Democracy is being murdered in broad daylight. Gyanesh Kumar is benefiting the BJP. Congress believes democracy must be protected. Everyone who believes in democracy is now taking to the streets,” Patole said.
SIR row intensifies
The Indian Express reported that more than 13 crore names were excluded from draft electoral rolls across 30 states and Union Territories during the SIR exercise.
The investigation also reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections on at least 14 occasions over 10 months to various decisions and orders that they said had been taken without their knowledge.
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