Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], October 7 (ANI): The Himachal Pradesh Congress on Wednesday held a protest and staged a gherao of Lok Bhawan in Shimla against the detention of Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the BJP-led government was attempting to undermine democracy through what it termed “vote theft.”
The protest was led by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, state Congress Committee president Vinay Kumar and other Congress ministers, legislators and senior party leaders.
Speaking with ANI, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said, “Rahul Gandhi, as the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and leader of the country's principal opposition party, was leading a march with around 300 MPs against what the Congress alleges was an attempt to ‘murder democracy’ through vote theft.”
Sukhu alleged that Rahul Gandhi was forcibly taken away by police and taken to a police station.
He said, “The protest was against the attempts by the BJP-led government to suppress democratic voices, adding that Rahul Gandhi had become the voice of the people.”
The Himachal Chief Minister further said, “The Congress had strengthened democracy over the past 77 years and alleged that the same democratic system, which enabled Prime Minister Narendra Modi to become Prime Minister, was now being undermined through vote theft.”
“Congress workers and leaders across Himachal Pradesh were holding demonstrations either on Wednesday or on Thursday to protest Rahul Gandhi's detention and to defend democracy,” Sukhu said.
He further added that the party's protests and gheraos were intended to highlight what Congress alleges is the creation of governments through “vote theft”.
Speaking with ANI, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri alleged that Rahul Gandhi was detained while fighting to uphold the spirit of democracy and raise concerns over alleged irregularities in the electoral process.
Agnihotri alleged that 13 crore voters had been deprived of their rights under the present Election Commission and claimed that the issue had come to light after details concerning alleged “vote theft” emerged.
He said the Congress movement would continue until Election Commission Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was removed, adding that the issue would be taken to its “logical end”.
Agnihotri said the Congress-led opposition movement had spread across the country under Rahul Gandhi's leadership.
He said Congress workers had demonstrated outside Raj Bhawan and Lok Bhawan in Shimla and submitted a memorandum to the Governor, seeking action to prevent what the party alleges is “vote theft” and to restore democracy in the country.
Speaking with ANI, Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Vinay Kumar said that around 300 INDIA bloc MPs had marched towards the Election Commission from Parliament on Tuesday but were stopped by barricades.
He alleged that Rahul Gandhi subsequently moved to the Akashvani Bhavan, where Congress general secretary KC Venugopal and party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were also present, and claimed that they were detained for around seven hours before being arrested.
Vinay Kumar said the Congress would take the issue to people across the country and organise a major gathering at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on October 1, followed by a month-long campaign to reach villages and make people aware of what the party alleges was “vote theft”.
He said the memorandum submitted in Himachal Pradesh was aimed at highlighting what the Congress described as injustice to voters and an attempt to weaken the Constitution. He said the memorandum would be forwarded to the President through the Governor.
The Congress leaders further stated that the party would intensify its campaign on the issue and take its allegations to people at the grassroots level.
The ruling Congress in Himachal Pradesh has also announced plans for sustained public outreach on the issue, with party leaders saying the campaign would be taken to villages across the state. (ANI)
Himachal: Congress stages protest led by CM Sukhu in Shimla over Rahul Gandhi's detention, alleges ‘vote theft’
