Why Nov 1? BJP questions Rahul over rally date coinciding with 1984 riots anniversary
· India · Times of India, Telegraph India
BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of rubbing salt into the wounds of the Sikh community by scheduling an INDIA bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1, the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Prasad questioned why Gandhi was adamant about the date and said several opposition allies were unhappy and had suggested postponing the rally. He claimed a virtual meeting on October 22 to discuss the date was postponed after many allies did not attend. The rally aims to pressure the government over alleged "vote theft" and demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Opposition leaders held a "March for Democracy" to the Supreme Court on October 12 and filed a joint petition against the revision. Rahul Gandhi hosted INDIA bloc leaders for tea on October 13.
Why it matters
The BJP's attack sharpens the political battle over the 1984 riots legacy and could polarise Sikh voters ahead of upcoming elections, while the opposition's electoral roll challenge tests institutional trust in the Election Commission.
Read the original report — Times of India
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