New Delhi, October 6 (Daily Kiran) : The Election Commission of India has clarified that as of 4 PM on the day of a dramatic march led by opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, no political party had requested a meeting with the Commission. An official confirmed this information following the detention of Gandhi and other Congress MPs by Delhi police around 8 PM at their temporary protest site near Akashvani Bhavan on Parliament Street.
Despite the detention, the Commission stated it had not received any prior notification regarding the MPs’ intention to submit a memorandum. The Commission’s statement indicated that it was only informed by police later that a group of MPs, led by Gandhi, wished to present a memorandum.
Following this, the police communicated that 240 MPs wanted to meet with the Commission at its headquarters. However, the Commission rejected this request, citing protocol that prohibits meetings from being held outside the designated electoral assembly.
In its statement, the Commission offered to send its senior-most official to the proposed meeting site to receive the memorandum. This suggestion was also declined by the MPs.
The Election Commission reiterated its commitment to respecting parliamentary and democratic processes while adhering to its protocols and traditions. It emphasized that any political party can request a meeting with the Commission at any time, and the timing will be arranged based on logistical considerations.
The Commission has established a process for meetings with political parties, which was communicated to all parties involved. Whenever a political party or a joint delegation seeks to meet the Commission, they must request a time through their officially authorized representatives, with meetings scheduled by mutual agreement.
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and other leaders from the INDIA bloc were detained by police after staging a sit-in for over nine hours near the Commission’s office.
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