INDIA bloc rally demands Gyanesh Kumar's resignation — SkimNews
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- INDIA bloc organised a rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan that drew tens of thousands, led by Rahul Gandhi's Congress party and attended by Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, Mehbooba Mufti, Supriya Sule and Tejashwi Yadav, demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.
- Election Commission says the Special Intensive Revision has removed more than 130 million names from India's draft electoral rolls, with eligible voters wrongly excluded able to seek restoration; the opposition alleges the process strips legitimate voters to favour the BJP, and both the BJP and the commission deny the allegations.
- Indian Express reported in September that Gyanesh Kumar made key decisions about the revision despite repeated objections from the two other election commissioners, with the poll panel saying such differences of opinion are normal and do not affect its functioning.
- Rahul Gandhi told the crowd its message went to Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Kumar, insisting the gathering voiced "India's youth, women, farmers and workers"; Congress president Kharge said the alliance will continue campaigning until Kumar resigns, and Banerjee pledged to keep fighting.
- JP Nadda accused the opposition of a "calculated conspiracy to plunge the nation into anarchy - in the name of democracy" and of trying to destabilise the government, while Modi told Friday and Saturday rallies that opponents are creating chaos and undermining the dignity of the constitution.
- INDIA bloc staged a symbolic impeachment of Kumar on Saturday — proceedings with no legal standing, since Indian law permits removal of the chief election commissioner only through a formal parliamentary process — while the Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party backed the rally but stayed away to preserve its independence.
- Delhi Police required organisers to end the gathering by 5pm, install CCTV cameras and keep protesters within the designated grounds; the atmosphere at Ramlila Maidan was largely peaceful, unlike 10 October when CJP leaders were detained and BBC reporters saw police drag demonstrators and beat some with batons.
Why it matters: More than 130 million names are off India's draft rolls and the Commission says wrongly excluded voters can appeal for restoration, so the revision itself carries the stakes. The INDIA bloc's Saturday mock impeachment has no legal force, since removal requires a parliamentary process, leaving Delhi Police's 5pm end-time as the rally's real limit.
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