Delhi police denied the INDIA bloc permission to use the Ashoka Hotel for a public impeachment of the chief election commissioner on Oct 30, forcing the organisers to shift the venue to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s Rajaji Marg residence.
The decision follows the bloc’s broader campaign of a "mock parliament" against the CEC and accusations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls, a key point of contention since the last general elections.
K C Venugopal, Congress general secretary (organisation), blasted the government for "blocking" the event and said the police had also stopped party workers from setting up at Ramlila Maidan despite having the required permits.
Venugopal warned that if the authorities refuse to allow the impeachment at the new site, the opposition will stage a mass dharna outside the homes of Amit Shah and Narendra Modi, and that 21 parties had planned the event as a prelude to the November 1 "Dilli Chalo" march that aims to mobilise 10 lakh people.
All opposition MPs have been instructed to stay in Delhi from Oct 30 to Nov 1, and the cabinet is expected to review the permit dispute before the rally, while the Election Commission will likely issue a statement on the legality of the protest.