Rahul Gandhi invites INDIA bloc MPs and other protest groups for tea meeting

LoP Rahul Gandhi invites opposition leaders for tea (File pic)

Amid the ongoing protest, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has invited INDIA bloc MPs and members of the civil society and student organisations for tea at his residence on Tuesday, PTI sources said.

They said a joint press conference of INDIA bloc leaders would precede the tea at Gandhi's 5, Sunehri Bagh Road residence.

The invite sent by LoP Rahul Gandhi on Monday said, "Following today's March for Democracy and the submission of the petition ... a joint press conference of INDIA leaders will be held tomorrow afternoon, followed by tea. I invite you to join me at my residence at 5, Sunehri Bagh Road, New Delhi, at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, 13th October," as per PTI.

Sources further said that deliberations on the strategy for joint protests against "vote chori" (vote theft) and to press for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation are also expected to take place during the meeting at Gandhi's residence.

INDIA bloc leaders stage massive protest on Monday

This comes a day after the raging protests over the vote theft charge reached the Supreme Court's doorstep. Opposition stalwarts, joined by activists and civil society members, undertook a "March for Democracy" on a heavily barricaded route and filed a joint petition against SIR and alleged poll irregularities in a major show of strength in the national capital.

A mammoth crowd carrying flags and posters descended on central Delhi's Connaught Place, with Leaders of Opposition (LoPs) in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav; TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, CPI's D Raja, CPI-M leader M A Baby, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, besides NCP-SCP leader Supriya Sule, among those joining the march.

While the protesters breached one barricade at the Bhagwan Dass Road, they were finally halted at the second barricade on the road. Later, top leaders of the INDIA bloc went to the Supreme Court to file their petition.

The petition has made the Election Commission of India, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, and other Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi parties in the case.

The development came after the Chief Justice of India declined a request for a meeting with the LoPs on the issue, saying the matter is sub judice.

(With inputs from PTI)