Telangana CM Revanth accuses Centre of bid to disenfranchise voters, warns of intensified stir
New Delhi, Oct 7 (TNT): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday evening accused the Union government of attempting to disenfranchise voters through the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and warned that the Congress would intensify its agitation and take the issue to Parliament if Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar did not resign.
Addressing the media here following the police action against Opposition leaders, Reddy condemned the arrest of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
He alleged that the SIR exercise was being conducted under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and claimed that the process could deprive eligible citizens of their constitutional right to vote.
“The Constitution has given people the right to vote and nobody has the right to take it away,” Reddy said, alleging that the Centre was attempting to create two categories of citizens — those with voting rights and those without.
The Chief Minister also accused the government of targeting Opposition leaders instead of taking action against those allegedly responsible for irregularities in the electoral roll revision.
Recalling the historic “Simon Go Back” movement during India’s freedom struggle, Reddy called for a “GK Go Back” campaign against CEC Gyanesh Kumar and said the agitation would continue until his resignation.
He said the Congress would take the fight from the streets to Parliament to safeguard democracy and the Constitution.
Reddy alleged that central agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate, CBI and Income Tax Department, had earlier been used against political opponents and claimed that the Election Commission was now being used for political purposes.
Condemning the police action against Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, he alleged that it reflected the Centre’s intolerance towards the Opposition and accused the government of attempting to divert attention from alleged irregularities in the SIR process.
Referring to the farmers’ agitation, Reddy said the government had eventually withdrawn the farm laws following sustained public pressure and asserted that the present agitation would also continue until the demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation was addressed.
He warned that if the CEC did not resign, the agitation could intensify further and the demand could eventually extend to the resignation of the Prime Minister.
Describing the campaign as a “people’s movement” rather than merely a Congress protest, Reddy said the INDIA alliance and people across the country were participating in the effort to protect constitutional rights.
He said the people were closely observing the developments and would hold those responsible accountable through the electoral process.
Reddy urged the Centre to accept the Opposition’s demand and ensure the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, adding that Congress workers would remain united and intensify the movement in accordance with the party’s directions.
