INDIA Bloc’s ‘Chalo Delhi’ Rally, BJP’s Anti-Sikh Riots March Set for Same Day

Delhi is set for rival political mobilisations on Sunday as the INDIA bloc holds its ‘Chalo Delhi’ rally over alleged electoral roll irregularities and the BJP stages a march commemorating the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The Opposition’s rally at Ramlila Maidan will demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The BJP, meanwhile, has accused the Congress of organising a political gathering on the anniversary of the violence.

The events are scheduled in different parts of the capital, with the Opposition gathering in central Delhi and the BJP marching in West Delhi.

INDIA bloc MPs are scheduled to assemble at the Constitution Club at 11 am. A march will then leave the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction at noon for Ramlila Maidan.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Tejashwi Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav are among those expected to attend.

Security personnel have been deployed outside Ramlila Maidan as preparations continue.

The rally follows a mock Parliament organised by the Opposition in Delhi on Saturday, where Kharge moved a symbolic resolution setting out six allegations against the CEC.

The Opposition accused Kumar of manipulating elections, deleting 13.2 crore voters from electoral rolls, changing Form 6 without parliamentary oversight and centralising control of electoral rolls through ECINET. It also alleged that he excluded the other two Election Commissioners from key decisions and acted at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition would continue pursuing the issue. BJP leaders dismissed the exercise as “melodrama” and defended the constitutional protections available to senior constitutional authorities.

Opposition leaders said they had organised the public programme after being unable to raise their concerns in Parliament.

In West Delhi, the BJP’s march is scheduled to begin at 11.30 am at Hari Nagar Bus Depot and proceed towards Tilak Nagar Metro Station.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra, H S Phoolka, Manjinder Singh Sirsa and MP Bansuri Swaraj are expected to participate alongside members of the Sikh community.

Survivors of the 1984 violence and their families are also expected to join. The BJP plans to highlight allegations concerning Congress leaders’ involvement in the riots.

The Opposition rally comes amid a continuing dispute over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and allegations of voter exclusions. Congress leader K C Venugopal announced the November 1 gathering on October 5.

With inputs from ANI