Congress vows to go ahead with curtain-raiser for Nov 1 rally

The Congress on Tuesday said it would go ahead with its curtain-raiser for the November 1 rally despite the Delhi Police stopping preparations for it.

“How many permissions will you deny, Mr. Amit Shah? How many people will you stop?” asked Congress leader KC Venugopal, referring to the Union home minister. “Let it be very clear, come what may, we will not rest until [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi-Shah’s puppet [Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh] Kumar is removed.”

Venugopal said the October 30 curtain-raiser is planned as a “public impeachment” of Kumar, with 21 parties of the Congress-led opposition involved in the effort.

The November 1 rally and march at Ramlila Maidan are part of the Opposition’s campaign against voter deletions and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

Venugopal said the party first sought permission to hold the programme at Hotel Ashoka, but the police intervened after the venue had initially indicated it could host the event. The Congress then booked Ramlila Maidan for the period between October 25 and November 3, he said, adding that preparations were stopped when party workers arrived to set up for the curtain-raiser.

“First, they denied us permission to use the Ashoka Hotel lawns. Then they came here and told us that we could not hold the programme. This means that the decision is not really that of the Delhi Police. It is the decision of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah,” Venugopal said.

He accused the government of suppressing the voices of ordinary people and targeting political parties and said that the Congress would not succumb to pressure.

“If they stop us here, we will go to Amit Shah’s house, Modi’s house, and stage a massive dharna there,” Venugopal said.

The November 1 rally is part of the Congress and INDIA bloc’s wider “Save the Vote, Save the Country” campaign.

Rahul Gandhi has urged people to join the march, alleging that names have been unlawfully removed from voter lists and electoral rules violated.