New Delhi: A high-level delegation of INDIA bloc opposition leaders met with President Droupadi Murmu to submit a formal memorandum demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar alongside a complete transition away from electronic voting machines back to traditional ballot papers. The visiting leaders stated that they lack confidence in the existing EVM system, alleging that multiple recent election cycles have been compromised. According to the delegation, President Murmu listened to their arguments and instructed them to provide documented proof to substantiate their allegations, which the opposition representatives agreed to supply.
The political showdown spilled into the streets of New Delhi, where heavy security measures and multi-tier barricades restricted movement near Raisina Hill as opposition parliamentarians attempted to march toward Rashtrapati Bhavan. The strict police bandobast included barricaded thoroughfares, metro station closures, train disruptions, and localized internet suspensions across parts of the national capital.
The heavy-handed security response ignited a fierce political debate between rival parties. Congress national spokesperson Adil Singh Boparai criticized the government's approach, pointing to the sweeping movement restrictions as evidence of an elected autocracy and an undeclared emergency born of deep-seated government apprehension.
Countering these assertions, BJP national spokesperson Dr. Guru Prakash Paswan invoked the legacy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar to condemn the opposition's demonstrations as a grammar of anarchy and reckless lawlessness fueled entirely by persistent electoral setbacks.
Meanwhile, former Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police A.K. Jain defended the crowd control protocols implemented by the Delhi Police. He maintained that strict preventive measures and tight security deployments are essential to maintain public order, prevent widespread chaos, and avert situations that might otherwise require the use of physical force.
Alongside their direct appeal to the head of state, leaders of the INDIA bloc have indicated that they intend to approach the Supreme Court of India to present the same memorandum detailing their grievances and allegations regarding election management.