Congress Protests Alleged Vote Theft in Jaipur, Leaders Detained After Clash with Police

Jaipur, September 28: The Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee staged a protest in Jaipur on Monday against the alleged “vote theft,” the Special Intensive Review (SIR) of voter lists, and the functioning of the Election Commission. Congress leaders and workers gathered at the Shaheed Smarak before marching towards the Election Commission office. However, police barricaded their path, leading to a confrontation between the police and protesters. The police used water cannons to disperse the crowd.

During the protest, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra, opposition leader Tikaram Julie, and state Congress in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa were among the prominent leaders present. The police detained these leaders and workers, transporting them to the Vidyadhar Nagar police station, where they continued to chant slogans against the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Gehlot urged party workers to reach out to the public to save democracy. Addressing the gathering at the Shaheed Smarak, he accused the central government, BJP, and the Election Commission of undermining democratic institutions. He cited the recent delimitation in Assam, claiming it adversely affected Congress. Gehlot expressed concerns over potential irregularities in the upcoming delimitation for both the assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

He attributed Congress’s recent losses in local body elections to delimitation and alleged misuse of police and administrative resources. Gehlot claimed that boundaries in several areas were arbitrarily changed and that government machinery was used during elections. He called on workers to engage with the public on these issues, framing the movement as a “do or die” struggle for democracy.

Gehlot questioned the SIR process, alleging that the eligibility of long-time voters was being unjustly challenged. He dismissed the Election Commission’s clarifications as unsatisfactory.

Randhawa stated, “We have accepted arrest to save the country. We are doing this for democracy, which must be preserved.”

Dotasra accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of manipulating the SIR process. He emphasized that Congress would not limit its protests and would work to communicate its allegations to the public. During his speech, Dotasra made a serious remark about “hanging” Kumar at the crossroads.

Opposition leader Tikaram Julie claimed that Gyanesh Kumar was protecting the BJP and Prime Minister Modi, labeling him as an agent of the BJP.

Jaipur city Congress president Sunil Sharma also demanded Kumar’s resignation. After their detention, Randhawa reiterated that party leaders were protesting to safeguard democracy. The gathering at Shaheed Smarak included former minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas and a large number of party workers.

The protest escalated after the assembly, as Congress workers attempted to march towards the Election Commission office. Police had set up barricades, leading to a clash where water cannons were deployed. Following the confrontation, leaders were taken into custody and brought to the Vidyadhar Nagar police station, where protests continued with chants. There has been no response from the Election Commission or relevant authorities regarding the allegations made by Congress leaders during this incident.

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Kuldeep Singh Chundawat: My name is Kuldeep Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.