Congress leaders stage sit-in at Akashvani Bhavan, vow not to move

Congress leaders staged a sit-in protest at Akashvani Bhavan after their 'Save Democracy' march to the ECI was stopped. KC Venugopal vowed not to move until their demands, including the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, are met.

Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, who is among the party leaders staging a sit-in protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar at Akashvani Bhawan on Tuesday, said that they will not move until their demands are met.

Congress leaders staged a sit-in protest at Akashvani Bhavan after the leaders of several INDIA bloc parties were stopped during a march to the Nirvachan Sadan. The protest is part of a broader "Save Democracy" campaign announced by the Opposition, under which its leaders have been holding demonstrations and public programmes against the ECI.

'Unmoved. Unfazed': Venugopal's Vow

“Unmoved. Unfazed. We will not budge until our demands are met. We will not rest until our democracy is saved from the Vote Chors,” Venugopal posted on X.

In another post, the Congress leader lashed out at the ECI, invoking the viral phrase, “Gyanesh, it’s done, bro.” “Election Commissioners are not Narendra Modi's servants. They are public officers serving the nation, and must not be stopped from meeting Opposition MPs. Today, 300+ MPs are marching to the ECI office but are being stopped. How long will you stop us, bro? Gyanesh, it's done, bro,” Venugopal wrote.

Opposition Defends Sit-in, Demands Resignation

Congress MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, who was present at the protest, defended their right to stage a sit-in at Akashvani Bhawan. Raja Warring said, "Akashvani doesn't belong to anyone; it is the property of this country—it is our property, the people's property. We didn't lay siege to Akashvani, nor did we hold anyone hostage. They weren't letting us pass, so we sat down inside. It is not as if we looted Akashvani. Nothing has been looted."

Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala also said that the party will continue its fight till CEC Gyanesh Kumar resigns. "More than 200 MPs protested against the actions of the Chief Election Commissioner, in which two election commissioners differed. Over 200 elected MPs wanted to meet the Chief Election Commissioner, but everyone saw how the police behaved with the MPs. We will continue this fight. This fight is to save parliamentary democracy in this country. The Election Commission has become the B-team of the BJP. We are demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner, and in this fight, the people of India are fully supporting the Congress and the INDIA alliance,” Chennithala said.

BJP Accuses Congress of 'Spreading Anarchy'

However, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of trying to “spread anarchy” and disrespecting constitutional institutions. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)