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DMK Divided Over Rahul Gandhi’s Election Commission Protest
Rahul Gandhi and other opposition politicians protested against India’s Election Commission.
They want Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign.
Police stopped the politicians from marching to the commission’s office, and Gandhi was detained before holding a long sit-in.
In Tamil Nadu, two DMK leaders reacted differently to Gandhi’s protest.
Saravanan Annadurai questioned why Gandhi had not spoken out in the same way about voter deletions in Tamil Nadu.
He cited a media report about constituencies where many voters were removed and TVK won.
TKS Elangovan said Gandhi had a right to protest and called for fresh elections in states where he alleged the process was compromised.
The DMK and Congress are now on opposing sides of Tamil Nadu’s political landscape.
DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai criticized Rahul Gandhi for not raising similar concerns about Tamil Nadu’s electoral-roll revisions.
Annadurai cited a media report saying TVK won 84 of 135 constituencies with more than 20,000 voter deletions, and all 10 where deletions exceeded 80,000.
Senior DMK leader TKS Elangovan defended Gandhi’s right to protest and called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s removal.
Gandhi and other Opposition leaders protested in New Delhi against the Election Commission; police detained Gandhi on Tuesday before he held a nine-hour sit-in.
The DMK’s criticism comes after it left the Congress-led INDIA bloc, while Congress now supports the TVK-led government in Tamil Nadu.
- Who
- Rahul Gandhi, other Opposition leaders, and DMK leaders Saravanan Annadurai and TKS Elangovan.
- What
- Gandhi and Opposition leaders protested against the Election Commission, while DMK leaders offered differing responses to his campaign and its focus on Tamil Nadu.
- Where
- New Delhi and Tamil Nadu.
- When
- The Delhi protest took place on Tuesday; the DMK leaders commented on Wednesday.
- Why
- The Opposition demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, citing allegations about electoral-process decisions; Annadurai questioned Gandhi’s silence about Tamil Nadu’s voter deletions.
DMK criticism of Gandhi
DMK defense of Gandhi’s protest
Gandhi’s focus on Tamil Nadu
DMK criticism of Gandhi
Saravanan Annadurai questioned why Gandhi had not raised similar allegations about Tamil Nadu’s voter deletions and asked whether he was afraid of Vijay.
DMK defense of Gandhi’s protest
TKS Elangovan defended Gandhi’s right to protest against what he described as government wrongdoing.
Response to alleged electoral-process problems
DMK criticism of Gandhi
Annadurai challenged Gandhi to address whether the SIR affected Tamil Nadu and whether the Election Commission acted fairly.
DMK defense of Gandhi’s protest
Elangovan called for Gyanesh Kumar’s removal and fresh elections in states where he alleged the electoral process had been compromised.
Key facts
- DMK spokesperson
- Saravanan Annadurai criticized Rahul Gandhi and questioned his stance on Tamil Nadu.
- DMK leader
- TKS Elangovan defended Gandhi’s right to protest.
- Voter-deletion figures cited
- Annadurai cited a media report saying TVK won 84 of 135 constituencies with more than 20,000 deletions, and all 10 with more than 80,000.
- Delhi protest
- Gandhi was detained after police stopped Opposition MPs from marching to the Election Commission’s office; he later held a nine-hour sit-in.
- Opposition demand
- The Opposition called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
- Political realignment
- The DMK left the Congress-led INDIA bloc after Tamil Nadu’s April election; Congress supports the TVK-led government.
- Report cited on commission
- An Express report said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally recorded objections at least 14 times over 10 months.
Quotes
TKS Elangovan
Senior DMK leader who defended Rahul Gandhi’s right to protest.
“It is the right of citizens to fight against the government’s wrongdoings. That is what Rahul Gandhi did yesterday.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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