New Delhi: Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Monday alleged that democracy was being "assaulted and murdered" right outside Parliament, as opposition MPs were stopped from taking out their protest march to the Election Commission headquarters here.
He said the Opposition MPs wanted to take out a peaceful march to the EC office as a mark of protest against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and 'vote chori', but were not allowed to move forward by the police.
"Our demand from the EC was very clear, all opposition MPs are staging a peaceful march, at the end of the march, collectively, we wish to present a memorandum on SIR and other issues, we didn't ask for a delegation. The language was clear, collectively, all opposition MPs would like to handover a memorandum to the EC. Now we are not allowed to even reach Nirvachan Sadan, we are stopped at PTI building. Right in front of Parliament, democracy is being assaulted, democracy murdered. This is too clever, cheeky reply by the ECI," he said.
"Chunav Aayog is Chunav Aayog, it cannot be 'churao aayog'," Ramesh told PTI.
MPs of various opposition parties on Monday carried out a protest march from Parliament to the EC office but were prevented from moving forward and were stopped by the police.
The protesting MPs were later detained by the police and taken away in buses, which were already lined up along Parliament street, next to Parliament. The MPs were later released.
Ramesh earlier wrote to the Election Commission to allow them to hold a meeting with them and discuss the SIR, among other issues.
Informing the EC about their march, Ramesh in a letter to the EC said, "thereafter, the MPs wish to collectively meet with the Commission on a host of issues including but not limited to Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls being undertaken in Bihar and proposed to be undertaken in other states as well".
"We look forward to meeting with the Commission which will be in keeping with the highest tradition of our parliamentary democracy," he also said.
The opposition has been protesting in both House of Parliament against the SIR, alleging that the EC's exercise is aimed at "disenfranchising voters" in Bihar ahead of the assembly elections due later this year. They have been demanding a discussion on the issue in both Houses.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
