Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 13: Delhi Police have registered multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) in connection with the INDIA bloc's march towards the Supreme Court on Monday, October 12, alleging that protesters broke police barricades and painted graffiti on roads during the demonstration.
The cases were registered at the Barakhamba Road and Tilak Marg police stations. According to police, the complaints relate to alleged violations during the opposition parties' protest, which was held to challenge the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The march, led by Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, began in central Delhi and proceeded towards the Supreme Court. The demonstrators encountered police barricades, and the situation turned tense as protesters attempted to move forward, resulting in confrontations with police personnel.
According to reports by The Times of India and The News Mill, police are examining allegations of barricade-breaking and graffiti. The accused columns in the initial complaints were reportedly left blank as investigators began the process of identifying those allegedly involved. Police are examining CCTV footage and videos circulating on social media to identify demonstrators, record statements and establish individual responsibility.
The march was organised amid growing opposition criticism of the SIR exercise, which opposition parties have alleged could lead to the wrongful exclusion of eligible voters. The Election Commission's revision of electoral rolls has become a major political flashpoint, with opposition leaders demanding greater transparency and safeguards against the removal of legitimate voters.
According to a report by Reuters, the revision has resulted in more than 130 million names being removed from electoral rolls across the country, including names of deceased persons, people who have moved and individuals who could not be traced. Opposition parties have questioned the process and its implementation, while the exercise has been defended as part of the electoral-roll revision process.
During Monday's demonstration, opposition leaders sought to take their protest to the Supreme Court while their legal team moved the court with a petition challenging decisions related to the SIR exercise.
Eleven opposition leaders joined the legal challenge, including Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, CPI(M) leader M A Baby, CPI general secretary D Raja, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MP Mahua Majhi, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule and Indian Union Muslim League MP E T Mohammed Basheer.
The petition questions the Election Commission's exercise of its powers in conducting the revision and seeks judicial scrutiny of decisions relating to the electoral rolls. However, the Supreme Court Registry reportedly flagged 14 defects in the filing and sought clarification on certain procedural issues, including the inclusion of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners S S Sandhu and Vivek Joshi as respondents.
Rahul Gandhi has maintained that the opposition parties would continue their campaign against what they describe as irregularities in the electoral-roll revision. The opposition has also demanded accountability from the Election Commission, while the controversy has intensified political tensions between the ruling BJP and opposition parties.
The investigation into the protest-related FIRs is ongoing. Police are expected to identify the individuals allegedly involved after examining available footage and gathering statements. The registration of the FIRs does not, by itself, establish the guilt of any particular demonstrator.