INDIA bloc holds Ramlila Maidan rally demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation; BJP's Nadda calls it an "orchestrated drama"

Leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc held a rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on Sunday, 1 November, to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, according to ABP Live and The News Minute. This piece is as of the evening of 1 November and reports claims by each side as the outlets attribute them.

The rally

ABP Live reports that thousands gathered and that Rahul Gandhi flagged off a march from the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction to the venue. It names Priyanka Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, Tejashwi Yadav and Farooq Abdullah among those with him, and says Mallikarjun Kharge and several chief ministers also joined. The News Minute says it was held under the "Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao" campaign and that Sonia Gandhi also took part. ABP Live says outstation workers alleged that police had blocked transit routes, and that protesters from Punjab reported delays and alleged blockades near the Haryana border.

What the bloc alleges

ABP Live says the rally targeted the SIR and the continued use of EVMs; the bloc alleges legitimate voters were deleted during the SIR and has called for paper ballots. The News Minute says the bloc alleges the SIR deleted 13.2 crore names, and that on 31 October it staged a symbolic "public impeachment" of the CEC, presenting six charges including electoral manipulation and acting in coordination with the BJP. At the rally, it says, Kharge called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's removal and said the fight would continue until Gyanesh Kumar resigned; Tejashwi Yadav described the CEC as a "puppet of Modi"; and Congress's Shashi Tharoor called for a clean electoral register and said people had lost faith in the CEC's impartiality. KC Venugopal called the rally a "stern warning" to Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

BJP's response

Republic World reports that Union Minister JP Nadda dismissed the rally as an "orchestrated drama" by parties he said had been repeatedly rejected by voters. It says he described a four-stage "anarchy model" of rumours, street agitation, economic disruption and an attempt to destabilise an elected government, and alleged the rally was foreign-instigated. He also said Congress had chosen the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots insensitively. Republic World says Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, on Saturday, questioned the Congress over its role in 1984 and said he believed a "grave political error" was being made. ABP Live says the BJP held a march in West Delhi on the same day to remember the 1984 victims.

Traders and others

Asianet Newsable reports that CTI, in a fourth letter to Rahul Gandhi, claimed about 2.5 lakh shops in markets within 5 km of the venue were expected to stay closed, out of nearly 3 lakh shops in markets within 5 to 7 km, with around 80% expected to shut. Its chairman Brijesh Goyal said shopkeepers' messages cited fears that 10 lakh people would arrive, and that CTI was not opposed to the rally. He said Gandhi had urged attendees in a video message to shop in nearby markets. The Logical Indian reports that the Cockroach Janta Party, led by Abhijeet Dipke, said it supported the protest but would not join it, as it wanted to remain "a neutral platform".