Chennai/Bengaluru, Oct 12 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Monday said there was no option but to meet the Chief Justice of India to protect democracy and citizens’ voting rights, asserting that all possible avenues must be explored when the Election Commission fails to respond.
Responding to a question from the media during his Chennai visit, Shivakumar said the Chief Justice of India should listen to the voice of the people and that the Prime Minister should have called the opposition leaders to understand their concerns when the Election Commission failed to respond to their representations.
“When the Election Commission does not respond despite meeting it, the Prime Minister should have called us and asked what the problem was. In such a situation, there is no option but to meet the Chief Justice,” he said.
Asked about the Chief Justice of India denying an appointment to the INDIA bloc leaders, Shivakumar said those in public life should use every available opportunity to safeguard democracy and the voting rights of all citizens.
“In public life, we make use of all opportunities to try to protect the country’s democracy and the voting rights of all its citizens,” he said.
Emphasising the importance of the right to vote, Shivakumar said it was fundamental to people’s lives and that opposition leaders were acting as the voice of the people.
“The right to vote is our right to life. It is our life. Opposition leaders are functioning as the voice of the people of the country. Anything can happen in a democracy,” he said.
Around 200 Congress MLAs, MLCs and party leaders, including CM Shivakumar, from Karnataka have reached New Delhi to participate in a protest march to the Supreme Court on Monday, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and the removal of eligible voters from voter lists across the country.
Karnataka Congress leaders said the agitation, being held under the leadership of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, was aimed at protecting the constitutional right to vote and safeguarding democracy. They alleged that the Election Commission was acting in favour of the BJP and accused the Centre of ignoring repeated memorandums and requests seeking action.
Karnataka Congress President B.K. Hariprasad, speaking in Delhi, said the issue was not limited to demanding the removal of Gyanesh Kumar but concerned the alleged exclusion of 13 crore eligible voters from electoral rolls across the country.
–IANS
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