New Delhi, 09 October (H.S.): The opposition INDIA bloc, which has been protesting against the Election Commission of India (ECI) for several days over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and allegations of “vote theft”, has received permission to meet President Droupadi Murmu. A delegation comprising 10 MPs from opposition parties will meet the President at 8 pm on Friday.

Before meeting the President, opposition MPs will assemble in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, the Old Parliament building, to discuss and formulate a coordinated strategy for the next phase of their agitation.

Congress general secretary (organisation) K. C. Venugopal said on Friday that the opposition parties had submitted their first request for an appointment with the President on October 2. The names of the delegation members were forwarded on October 5, following which the meeting was scheduled for 8 pm on Friday.

During the meeting, opposition leaders are expected to present their serious concerns regarding alleged irregularities in the electoral roll revision process and raise their objections concerning Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The opposition alliance intensified its agitation on October 6 by marching towards Nirvachan Sadan, the headquarters of the Election Commission. The police detained several leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The following day, opposition MPs attempted to march towards Jantar Mantar, but the police halted them by erecting barricades. On Thursday, opposition MPs staged a peaceful sit-in at Rajghat, the memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi.

The alliance has also decided to organise rallies across several states and undertake a “Save Democracy March” as part of its campaign.

Alongside street protests, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has convened lunch meetings on two consecutive days to coordinate the opposition’s strategy. Samajwadi Party MPs also attended Thursday’s meeting at Moets restaurant in Connaught Place. A crucial meeting of all opposition MPs was scheduled for 3 pm on Friday in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan.

In view of the continuing protests, more than 20,000 personnel from the Delhi Police and central paramilitary forces have been deployed across the national capital. The administration has made it clear that unauthorised demonstrations will not be permitted at Jantar Mantar or in other restricted areas. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh described the extensive security deployment as a sign of the government’s “nervousness”.

Meanwhile, a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered in connection with an alleged altercation between police personnel and protesters outside a restaurant on Thursday. The case reportedly concerns alleged misconduct towards police officers, with the names of Rahul Gandhi and several other leaders said to have been included in the FIR.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar