New Delhi, Nov 1 CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya on Sunday described Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as a “surgical strike” on voting rights, while CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby termed the INDIA bloc stir a “second freedom struggle” to save the country from the RSS.
Addressing the gathering at Ramlila Maidan here, Left leaders accused the BJP-led Centre of undermining constitutional rights and asserted that the movement against alleged irregularities in electoral processes must be taken to every corner of the country.
“The whole nation has understood that SIR is a tool to snatch away people’s right to vote, a surgical strike on people by the government,” Bhattacharya said.
He said the right to vote and to hold protests are fundamental to democracy, and both are under attack. He alleged that the authorities tried to silence the movement by barring protesters from gathering at Jantar Mantar.
“It looks like Delhi has been placed under military rule. They are trying to silence our voices,” he said, describing the gathering at Ramlila Maidan as a historic moment.
Bhattacharya said the movement against SIR of electoral rolls across states must continue, and demanded changes to the 2023 law governing the appointment of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners.
“Ambedkar gave the right to vote to all. We will not let it go,” he said, calling upon the youth and Gen-Z to join the agitation and treat the issue of electoral misappropriation as central during upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand.
Baby, in his address, said the massive gathering at Ramlila Maidan represented a collective rejection of the Centre’s ploys to keep people from expressing their opinion, and warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar that their “authoritarian tactics” would not succeed.
“We can see a sea of people. They are all saying the same thing to Modi, Shah and Gyanesh: ‘Your fascist tactics will not work in India’,” he said.
Referring to the historical significance of Ramlila Maidan, Baby said Mahatma Gandhi, B R Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and other freedom fighters had once addressed gatherings at the venue.
“This is a second struggle for independence, to save the country from the fascist hands of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh),” he said.
Demanding accountability over alleged electoral irregularities, Baby said Gyanesh Kumar must resign and face prosecution.
“Vote chori karne wale Gyanesh ka istifa lena hai (We will force Gyanesh Kumar, who is responsible for ‘vote chori’, to resign),” he said.
Drawing a contrast between the freedom struggle and the present political leadership, Baby said while Mahatma Gandhi had followed the path of ‘satyagraha’, Narendra Modi is treading a path of lies.
“He (Modi) had told farmers he would double their incomes. What happened? Farmers’ incomes did not double, but the number of farmer suicides did,” Baby added.
(PTI News)
