'Fundamental right to protest': DMK absent but supports INDIA bloc's stir against CEC

Chennai: The DMK on Tuesday extended support to the INDIA bloc's protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, calling it their "fundamental right" to agitate.

This comes despite the DMK and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), not taking part in the protest, which is being staged to demand the resignation of the CEC.

Speaking to IANS, DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan said: "When they want to protest and take out a procession to the Election Commission, they should be allowed to do so. But the BJP government stopped them from going. It is the fundamental right of an individual to protest. But they put up barricades to prevent them, so Rahul Gandhi had to climb over them."

Earlier in the day, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi climbed police barricades and waved the Tricolour as the security personnel stopped the INDIA bloc MPs from marching towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters.

LoP Gandhi, along with his sister and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, was briefly detained by the police.

Speaking to reporters, Rahul Gandhi said around 300 MPs from both Houses of Parliament were stopped from meeting the Election Commission.

He alleged that the MPs wanted to meet CEC Gyanesh Kumar and his two colleagues but were prevented from proceeding towards the Election Commission's office.

"Here, there were around 300 MPs from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. We wanted to meet Gyanesh Kumar and his two colleagues, but the police have stopped us. We are representatives of this country, and we represent the country's people," the Leader of Opposition said.

He further said: "Three hundred MPs were stopped here, and after that, they have made us sit here. The Election Commission is just 50 yards away, but they are not allowing us to go there. I don't understand what the problem is. The Election Commission's job is to conduct elections properly. Three hundred MPs want to meet Gyanesh Kumar, and Gyanesh Kumar is scared. So, I don't know what is happening in the country. If representatives cannot meet the Election Commission, then what is the meaning of democracy?"

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

IANS

[email protected]