NEW DELHI, November 1 (Aalimi Nation) – The opposition INDIA bloc and the Bharatiya Janata Party are holding rival marches in Delhi on Sunday, one demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the other marking the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, amid tight security.
The INDIA bloc has called a "Chalo Delhi" march that is to end at Ramlila Maidan. According to the schedule announced for the day, the bloc's MPs are to gather at the Constitution Club at 11 am and set off at noon from the Minto Road–Connaught Place junction towards the venue. Leaders expected to attend include Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, Hemant Soren, Revanth Reddy, Tejashwi Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav.
The bloc says the Election Commission is acting at the government's behest and that voting rights are under threat. The immediate trigger is the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which the opposition has criticised. Congress leader KC Venugopal announced the rally on October 5. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said in a post on X that he expected lakhs of people to join, and accused the BJP of spreading rumours out of fear.
The BJP's Delhi unit has planned a separate march from the Hari Nagar bus depot to Tilak Nagar Metro station in West Delhi, starting at 11.30 am. The party accuses the Congress of holding a political rally on the anniversary of the 1984 violence. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra, Manjinder Singh Sirsa and MP Bansuri Swaraj are among those named to take part, along with members of the Sikh community.
Earlier, at 10.30 am, BJP MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney is to address the media with 1984 riot victims at Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj Sahib. The Congress has not been quoted in the information reviewed for this report on the BJP's accusation about the date of its rally.
Delhi Traffic Police have announced restrictions and diversions in parts of West Delhi from 9 am to 3 pm because of the BJP's proposed march. Both carriageways of Jail Road between Lajwanti Chowk and Tilak Nagar may be closed depending on conditions. Motorists have been advised to use the Sewa Marg and Mayapuri Road diversions.
On Saturday, the INDIA bloc held a symbolic "public impeachment" of Mr Kumar at a mock Parliament, where Mr Kharge moved a resolution listing six allegations against the Chief Election Commissioner. The exercise carries no legal force. Mr Gandhi said the opposition would not let the Chief Election Commissioner "escape". BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra called the exercise a "mockery" of democracy and said the Congress was spreading lies about irregularities in the revision of the rolls.
The outcome of both events is not yet known. Police have deployed security personnel outside Ramlila Maidan. The Election Commission has not responded to the demand for Mr Kumar's resignation in the information reviewed so far. The bloc's leaders are expected to address the gathering after the march reaches the ground.
