Revanth Joins India Bloc March to Raj Ghat, Demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s Resignation
Telangana CM opposes SIR, seeks restoration of voting rights for all eligible citizens
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday joined the I.N.D.I.A. bloc rally from Connaught Place to Raj Ghat in Delhi, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and opposing the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
The rally followed a lunch hosted by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge for I.N.D.I.A. bloc MPs. Revanth Reddy, along with senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K.C. Venugopal and I.N.D.I. A. bloc leaders, later marched to Raj Ghat and staged a peaceful sit-in. Revanth Reddy paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at the memorial.
Speaking to the media later, Revanth Reddy warned that attempts to retain power through the Election Commission of India (ECI) by “backdoor means” would trigger a revolt by the people. He demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi immediately sack CEC Gyanesh Kumar, reverse the SIR exercise and restore the voting rights of every eligible citizen. Otherwise, he said, the Prime Minister should vacate office or face removal by the people.
Revanth Reddy said the “Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao” campaign was not a Congress or I.N.D.I.A. bloc fight but a movement to protect the rights of ordinary citizens and the country’s democratic future. He said India had 81 crore voters in 2014, 91 crore in 2019 and 97 crore in 2024, and questioned how the voter base could now shrink when the country’s population had risen to around 140 crore.
He alleged that 13 crore votes had been removed and demanded that Modi explain the decline in numbers. “Since 1952, the number of voters has increased in every Lok Sabha election. Now, for the first time, the total number of voters is set to come down,” he said.
The Chief Minister accused the BJP of using divisive tactics based on religion, caste, region and language and misusing Central agencies such as the ED, income-tax department and CBI to intimidate the Opposition and weaken constitutional institutions like the ECI. He alleged that the SIR exercise was creating two categories of citizens — those whose voting rights were retained and those whose votes were being targeted for deletion.
He claimed Dalits, tribals, OBCs, minorities and other poorer sections opposed to the BJP were being targeted. He also questioned police action against Opposition leaders protesting the Election Commission’s functioning and alleged that the poll panel was refusing to meet leaders who approached it with complaints.
Recalling the freedom struggle and Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s role in ensuring universal voting rights, Revanth Reddy said the right to vote was the foundation of all other constitutional rights. If 13 crore or more citizens were disenfranchised, he warned, it would be the “single largest disenfranchisement exercise on the planet” and could eventually threaten reservations and fundamental rights.
Revanth Reddy said the BJP would have to either sack the CEC, reverse the SIR and restore every eligible citizen’s vote or face rejection by the people and be consigned to the “dustbin of Indian political history”.
