'This govt will fall': Rahul Gandhi's 'guarantee' to allies amid protests against CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Lok Sabha leader of opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the opposition's protests against the Election Commission of India (ECI) had exposed a deeper problem with the government, asserting that sustained pressure over the next few days could bring it down.Addressing INDIA bloc MPs at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, Gandhi said the issue went beyond Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and called for the termination of the current government."There is a much deeper problem than Gyanesh Kumar and it requires termination of this current government," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.He described the fight as one worth risking one's life for and accused Kumar of refusing to meet elected representatives."This is something that is worth fighting for and dying for," Gandhi said.The Congress leader also said the Chief Election Commissioner was merely a service provider and criticised him for saying he would not meet elected representatives."If we continue to push the way we have in last three-four days, I guarantee this government will fall," the former Congress chief said.Gandhi also invoked Jawaharlal Nehru's historic address delivered from the Central Hall of Parliament on August 14, 1947, as the INDIA bloc intensified its campaign against the Election Commission."Jawaharlal Nehru gave a very famous speech. It was given from the Central Hall of Parliament on 14 August 1947. I want to quote a little bit from it. It is a fateful moment for us in India, for all Asia and for the world. A new star rises, the star of freedom in the East, a new hope comes into being, a vision long cherished materialises. May the star never set and that hope never be betrayed..." Rahul Gandhi said.The address came amid a political dispute over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and allegations of bias against the poll body.The INDIA bloc and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) have alleged large-scale voter disenfranchisement, claiming that more than 13 crore names were deleted during the draft-roll stage of the revision to target citizens opposed to the ruling BJP.The controversy intensified following reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised internal objections over voter additions, deletions and administrative anomalies in the electoral software.The Election Commission rejected allegations of an institutional breakdown, saying 13.39 crore electors had been flagged under the standard ASD categories of Absent, Shifted, Dead and duplicate. It maintained that decisions on the final SIR exercise were unanimous and followed thorough verification.The INDIA bloc has launched a nationwide campaign against the Election Commission and met President Droupadi Murmu on Friday evening to submit a representation seeking Kumar's resignation.Earlier, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the government of acting out of fear, pointing to the closure of metro stations and cancellation of train services ahead of the opposition's planned march.The opposition has maintained that its campaign is aimed at addressing alleged irregularities in the electoral process and securing accountability from the poll body.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.