Shimla: All India Mahila Congress head Alka Lamba Friday appealed to people of Himachal Pradesh to support the movement against “vote theft” and join the INDIA bloc’s November 1 protest in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan.
Additionally, in response to the BJP’s outrage over Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s late father, Lamba emphasised that the Congress party has never made the background of Modi’s parents an issue, claiming that it was the prime minister himself who sought and secured votes by shedding “crocodile tears” in the name of his mother.
Speaking to the media in Shimla, she claimed that approximately 10 lakh people would participate in the protest in New Delhi.
Stating that the nation’s democracy is in peril, Lamba noted that the opposition cannot afford to remain silent under such circumstances.
Lamba further accused the government of trying to suppress the November 1 protest and trample on the opposition’s voice and insisted that the movement would not be called off.
She alleged that the votes of Dalits and the poor have been systematically removed, claiming that the names of millions of people were struck off the electoral rolls by labelling them as ‘infiltrators’.
She questioned who should be held accountable if the so-called infiltrators have indeed entered the country, demanding the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Lamba outlined three primary demands for the movement: the resignation and imprisonment of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the suspension of the ‘SIR’ (voter list revision/verification) process, and the conduct of the 2029 elections using ballot papers.
Describing Prime Minister Modi as “compromised,” Lamba claimed he is acting under pressure related to the “Epstein files.”
Lamba criticised Shah for his visits to the Election Commissioner’s office while remaining ‘indifferent’ to the ongoing crisis in Manipur.
Regarding Kharge’s “baap” remark, she advised Modi to stop playing the “victim card,” emphasising that Kharge is one of the most senior leaders in politics and that his words should be understood in that context.
She also pointed out that members of the BJP have also frequently made derogatory remarks regarding women. Citing a statement by Shah, she recalled how he had once threatened to “teach a lesson” (using the Hindi idiom ‘nani yaad dila denge’).
Additionally, Lamba addressed an alleged act of disrespect toward Mallikarjun Kharge in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, claiming that following an event there, members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP performed a “purification” ritual.
She stated that Prime Minister Modi, who often describes himself as a “fakir” (ascetic), should prepare his “jhola” (satchel), as his time is running out.
