"EC a puppet of BJP": Tejashwi Yadav alleges democracy being crushed
Tejashwi Yadav and the INDIA bloc march to the Supreme Court, alleging the Election Commission is working with the BJP to crush democracy.
In a massive escalation of political tension, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission on Monday, accusing the body of functioning as a "puppet of the BJP." The allegations come as members of the INDIA bloc launched a coordinated march toward the Supreme Court to protest against alleged electoral irregularities and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
"Democracy is being crushed"
Speaking to reporters during the protest, Tejashwi Yadav claimed that the battle against the manipulation of electoral rolls actually began in Bihar, with his party being among the first to raise objections. He alleged that the current state of affairs is a direct threat to the nation's democratic fabric.
“We have been consistently fighting against SIR, we were the very first ones to fight this battle, and it started from Bihar. Even back then, we used to say that the Election Commission has completely become a puppet of the BJP. Now things have come out in the open about how these people carried out vote theft and conducted fraudulent elections,” Yadav stated.
Yadav emphasized that the opposition cannot remain silent while the Constitution is under threat. "Democracy is being crushed. And when democracy is being constantly attacked and crushed, how can we sit quietly? Elections must be fair. Democracy must survive, our Constitution must survive. Whatever sacrifice is needed for this, we will make it," he added.
INDIA Bloc Leaders Join the March
The protest saw a united front from various opposition heavyweights, each highlighting different aspects of the alleged systemic failure:
- Mamata Banerjee: The West Bengal Chief Minister focused on the human element, stating, "We are demanding justice, nothing else. This is for people, for humankind, for justice."
- Deepender Singh Hooda: The Congress MP accused the BJP and the Election Commission of collusion to influence results. He raised serious questions regarding the impartiality of the Chief Election Commissioner and criticized the Delhi Police for the "brutal suppression" of protesters.
- Sanjay Singh: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP went further, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has effectively imposed a "state of emergency" in Delhi and across the country, citing the assault on journalists and students.
High Security in Central Delhi
As the march progressed toward the Supreme Court, security in Central Delhi was tightened significantly. Authorities deployed the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and CRPF alongside Delhi Police personnel to manage the crowds.
Heavy barricading has been installed at multiple locations, including Barakhamba Road and near Mandi House. For security reasons, certain metro station entries and exits were scheduled to remain closed until 4:00 PM on October 12 to prevent chaos during the high-stakes demonstration.