In Ladakh, the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) is launching a three-day hunger strike over its demand for statehood. In J&K, the Congress will hold a chain hunger strike to press for statehood
The Supreme Court had given the Election Commission (EC) till Saturday to furnish details of around 65 lakh electors left out from the draft electoral rolls as part of its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in poll-bound Bihar.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan and N Kotiswar Singh asked the counsel for the poll panel to furnish the details of deleted voters, the data which has been already shared with the political parties, and give a copy to the NGO, Association For Democratic Reforms.
The NGO, which has challenged the June 24 order of the Election Commission directing the SIR in Bihar, filed a fresh application seeking direction to the poll panel to publish the names of around 65 lakh deleted voters with the mention whether they are dead, permanently migrated or not considered for any other reason.
The bench told the EC’s counsel, “We will see every voter likely to be affected and get the required information. You (EC) file a reply by Saturday… and then we can see what is disclosed and what is not disclosed.”
On August 1, the poll panel came out with the much-anticipated “draft electoral rolls” in Bihar, enlisting 7.24 crore voters but knocking off more than 65 lakh names, claiming that most of the persons concerned had died or migrated.
The EC has said it was making available printed copies, district-wise, to representatives of political parties so that anomalies, if any, could be flagged during the “claims and objections” phase, which would continue till September 1 before the “final rolls” are published.
Meanwhile, days after Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi released data alleging “vote theft” in Karnataka on Thursday, the party is continuing its push against the EC, which the party claims is “stealing votes” for the BJP.
On Saturday, Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said various Pradesh Congress Committees across the country will screen Rahul Gandhi’s Thursday press conference at state headquarters, where he “exposed the BJP-ECI nexus in this electoral fraud”.
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Protests in Kolkata over R G Kar rape-murder
On Saturday, the first anniversary of the R G Kar R G Kar Medical College rape-murder case in Kolkata, several political parties are expected to participate in the “Nabanna Abhijan”, a march to the West Bengal secretariat to demand justice for the victim, who was a junior doctor.
The parents of the victims have called on all parties to join the protest against the Trinamool Congress government, as reported by Tanusree Bose. Talking to The Indian Express, the victim’s father said, “We want every person of this state to join us in the rally to demand justice. We have also visited all political parties, be it the BJP, the Congress, the Left, Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI), and Sangrami Joutha Mancha. They can all join us without their party flags or banners. This is an apolitical rally for my daughter and for all those daughters who have not got justice.”
The parents of the doctor claim that both the Kolkata Police and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), after taking over the case, have failed to deliver justice. “We are running from one court to another but are not getting justice. If necessary, we will fight to obtain justice ourselves; our struggle will continue,” said the father.
The parents believe that the TMC has denied them justice. “I have not spoken to them, and I will not invite them; they do not even deserve to be acknowledged. It is due to their cover-up that neither I nor my child has got justice,” said the father.
Statehood protests in J&K, Ladakh
Days after parties in J&K protested on the sixth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, the Congress will on Saturday launch the ‘Hamari Riyasat Hamara Haq’ campaign to demand the restoration of J&K’s statehood.
From August 9 to 21, the party will hold a “chain hunger strike” to push the BJP-led Centre to restore statehood to J&K during the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Parliament.
In Ladakh, the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) is set to begin a three-day hunger strike from Saturday, alleging a delay by the Centre in holding the next round of talks concerning the demand for statehood and Sixth Schedule for the Union Territory of Ladakh.
The strike will begin in Kargil town and the leaders of Leh Apex Body (LAB) have also been requested to join the protest. The KDA, along with the LAB, has been holding talks with the Centre over their four-point agenda – statehood, Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh, a dedicated Public Service Commission (PSC) and two Parliamentary seats. The two outfits have been spearheading an agitation jointly over the past several years in support of their demands.