‘Vote Chor – Gaddi Chhod’ Slogan Echoes in Udupi; Massive Rally Held Amid Rain
Udupi: “During British rule, the right to vote was restricted to the wealthy, men and powerful sections of society. Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is following the same path,” alleged social activist Bhavya Narasimha Murthy.
She was addressing a large protest and Tiranga march organised in Udupi on Friday under the banner of Oorooru Jantar Mantar, led by the Sahabalve organisation and several like-minded groups, opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The rally witnessed a large turnout of citizens despite the rain, with participants raising slogans such as “Vote Chor – Gaddi Chhod”.
Bhavya Narasimha Murthy alleged that the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had come to power in 2014 by making false promises. She said the assurances of doubling farmers’ incomes and providing two crore jobs to young people every year had not been fulfilled. She further alleged that attempts were being made to use the Election Commission to the ruling party’s advantage amid fears of electoral defeat.
She said that earlier, representatives of the ruling party, opposition and judiciary were involved in selecting election commissioners to ensure transparency in the electoral process. However, she alleged that the ruling party now selects election commissioners using its majority, raising questions about the impartiality of elections.
She also alleged that in 2019, when it became difficult to win elections through false allegations, central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Income Tax Department were used, along with political defections and horse-trading, to secure power.
Questioning the functioning of the Election Commission under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, she said the younger generation was responding democratically to the oppression faced by Dalits and backward communities in the past.
Former minister Vinay Kumar Sorake, addressing the gathering, alleged that efforts were underway to deprive 13 crore people in the country of their voting rights. Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly staying away from Parliament, he expressed concern that the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls could affect the voting rights of lakhs of citizens.
Sorake demanded the immediate cancellation of the SIR process and called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign from his post.
Sahabalve organisation’s Phaniraj and Sundar Master, Ramesh Kanchan, Prasad Raj Kanchan, Hariprasad Rai, Fr. Denis D Sa, Fr. Charles Menezes, Ismail Kodibengre, Prashanth Jatanna, Melvin Aranha, Veronica Cornelio and Nagesh Kumar Udyavar were among those who participated in the protest, along with hundreds of activists from various organisations.