Opposition Marches for Democracy: Echoes of the Dandi March

In a fiery address on Monday, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari criticized the Election Commission of India (ECI), drawing parallels between the INDIA bloc's protest march and Mahatma Gandhi's legendary Dandi March. Tiwari asserted that Rahul Gandhi is following the principles of Mahatma Gandhi, emphasizing that despite holding a press conference, the Election Commission remains dismissive, demanding affidavits instead. He suggested the ECI is operating under undue pressure, claiming the opposition's march is focused on safeguarding democracy akin to Gandhi's march for independence.

Highlighting the intent of the protest, Tiwari stated that the Opposition aims to garner the ECI's attention, intending to march from Parliament's Makar Dwar to the Election Commission's office. Their demand is straightforward: the ECI should not be complicit with the BJP in what they describe as the 'murder of democracy.'

After the ECI scheduled an appointment with Congress MP Jairam Ramesh at noon, Tiwari expressed skepticism, questioning the commission's availability for dialogue. Citing concerns that the recent expose involved Rahul Gandhi providing incriminating numbers, he pointed out the Deputy CM of Bihar's issue with dual EPIC cards. By drawing a connection to Mohan Bhagwat's comments on 'commercialization,' he also demanded an apology from the BJP for the increasingly unaffordable education and healthcare prevalent in the country.

(With inputs from agencies.)