NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, often perceived to be at odds with the party’s top leadership, has backed Rahul Gandhi‘s call for the ouster of the current BJP government. Tharoor shared an excerpt from Ramdhari Singh Dinkar’s popular poem, “Jantantra Ka Janm” (The Birth of Democracy).“Singhasan khali karo ki janata aati hai (Vacate the throne, for the people are coming!),” Tharoor shared in a post, quoting lines that have long echoed through India’s political corridors, most famously during the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975.Tharoor called it the poem of the day, coinciding with Rahul Gandhi’s planned march to the Supreme Court against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who has been under fire from the Opposition over his handling of the contentious Special Intensive Revision (SIR).“This government will go,” Tharoor also said in a previous post.In a show of opposition unity, a large demonstration led by INDIA bloc leaders and lawmakers wound its way through the streets of the national capital before reaching the Constitution Club of India.Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, along with former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, arrived at the Constitution Club.Rahul Gandhi had called on citizens to join the INDIA bloc’s protest march towards the Supreme Court against alleged “vote theft”.He said the alliance was moving to file a petition following directions from the Chief Justice of India (CJI).In a post on X with the hashtag #ChaloDilli, the Congress leader urged people to gather at Connaught Place in central Delhi to participate in the demonstration, which aims to safeguard democratic and constitutional values.“We had written a letter to the CJI. He directed us to file a petition. Now, leaders of the INDIA alliance will march to the SupremeCourt against ‘vote theft’ and file the petition,” Rahul Gandhi posted on X.Appealing for nationwide participation, he urged citizens to join the march in person or raise their voices from wherever they were.“In this fight to protect democracy and the Constitution, fellow citizens, let us march step in step with us. Reach Connaught Place and become part of this march. If you can’t come, raise your voice from wherever you are! #ChaloDilli,” the LoP added.During the march, Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal launched a sharp attack on the central government, describing the opposition’s agitation as the ‘biggest andolan” against the poll panel and announcing that the party was taking its legal battle to the Supreme Court.
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‘This is the biggest andolan against the Election Commissioner and the election system. Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are using the Chief Election Commissioner as their tool to destroy the democracy of this country, to hijack the democracy of the country,” Venugopal said.