300 Opposition MPs to march from Parliament to EC, police say ‘no permission granted’
Approximately 300 Opposition MPs from the INDIA bloc announced a march from Parliament to the Election Commission headquarters in Delhi to protest alleged “vote theft” and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, but Delhi Police stated that no permission was granted or even formally sought for this event.
The march, scheduled for Monday at 11:30 am from Parliament’s Makar Dwar, was publicly planned by the opposition; however, police and news sources consistently report that the organizers did not submit a formal request for permission, making it unlikely the march would be allowed to proceed due to concerns for security and traffic management.
Delhi Police confirmed “no permission has been sought” for the march from organizers by the required deadline, emphasizing the need for security clearance, especially given the large number of MPs involved.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) granted a formal appointment to a delegation (limited to 30 members) for an interaction at 12 pm, responding specifically to a request from Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, but this is distinct from permission for a public protest march.
The protest targets the ECI’s handling of the Bihar electoral rolls and alleged voter fraud in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, topics publicly raised by Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi, but the meeting at the ECI is not a replacement for a street demonstration.
The planned protest march by opposition MPs was widely announced and scheduled, police denied permission due to a lack of formal application, and only a small official delegation was granted access to meet the Election Commission.
