Rahul Gandhi asks for list of Congress MPs absent from SIR protest in Delhi
Rahul Gandhi has reportedly asked party general secretary K C Venugopal to list MPs who skipped the protest against the Election Commission, as the agitation entered its third day in Delhi.
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The Congress and the INDIA bloc's fight against the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is intensifying by the day. The agitation in Delhi entered its third day today. Opposition MPs have decided to step up the protest, and the opposition is questioning the way Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar functions.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that Rahul Gandhi has taken a firm line on the attendance of Congress MPs. He has reportedly asked party general secretary K C Venugopal to prepare a list of MPs who have not been present at the protest for the past two days.
According to the information, MPs who stayed away despite being expected at the protest will be asked the reason for their absence. Gandhi has also reportedly directed that show-cause notices be sent to MPs who do not have a valid or satisfactory reason. MPs of the Congress and the INDIA bloc have been urged to join the Delhi protest. This suggests the leadership is keeping an eye on attendance within the party as well.
Gandhi has also reached out to leaders of allied parties. He reportedly contacted top leaders of INDIA bloc partners and asked them to join the protest. They include West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. A strategy is reportedly being drawn up to widen the protest and make the opposition's stand against the Election Commission and Gyanesh Kumar more visible.
Banerjee had earlier said she would come to Delhi, and she reportedly reached the capital on Thursday. The INDIA bloc has sought time to meet President Droupadi Murmu, and the meeting is likely on October 8 or 9.
Speaking to the media, Banerjee said the next steps of the protest could not be disclosed yet. She also responded to the incidents involving Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi during the protest.
On Thursday, opposition MPs decided to march towards the Gandhi Smriti. Rahul Gandhi has claimed that about 300 MPs want to protest peacefully. Delhi Police, meanwhile, have reportedly imposed a prohibitory order under a section of law banning gatherings in the Rajghat area. Attention now turns to how the administration responds to the opposition's protest and when the proposed meeting with the President takes place.
