00:13As we continue our coverage of the protests that's happening in Rajiv Chowk, 42 former
00:18judges have written an open letter and have warned against attempts to undermine the election
00:23commission. In a strongly worded open letter, former judges have expressed grave concern
00:27over a sustained campaign to undermine the election commission, a judiciary and other
00:31constitutional institutions. Now the signatories have questioned allegations of vote theft without
00:36supporting evidence, warning that repeatedly branding constitutional authorities as thieves
00:40and compromise risks are eroding public trust in democracy at this point. The letter also states
00:47in a court that criticism of institutions is a democratic right. However, the denigration of
00:53them is not. Now defending the special intensive revision of electoral rules, the signatories
00:57have emphasized that it is a legally established exercise aimed at ensuring clean and accurate
01:02voter list. Now this of course comes while there has been a massive opposition protest led by
01:08Raul Gandhi as well as the Kokoro Janata Party over the last several weeks culminating in protests
01:13over the last three days. Today of course there's a protest, there's a united opposition protest
01:17that's happening in New Delhi for the third day in a row. There's of course the CJP protest
01:21that's happening in Freedom Park in Bengaluru where eminent civil society activists have of course
01:27gathered here. Amongst all of this there has also been pushback against those who have been
01:31protesting against the election commission and in the latest 42 former judges have written this open
01:37letter and on that note let me bring in my colleague Aishwarya Paliwal who's joining us live as well.
01:41Aishwarya, there is clear pushback also against those who are pushing back against the election commission
01:46and this is in the form of this letter which has been written by 42 former judges who have cautioned
01:51against denigrating a democratic institution. Take us to the contents of this letter.
02:02The people are questioning the entire process in fact that very closely has been looked at. Also at the
02:11moment what we are seeing is that most of the people have now started saying that something that is
02:17happening is not right. We are seeing on one side the opposition parties are uniting on the other side. We
02:22are seeing how prominent people in fact have started coming to the fore and they in fact have now
02:26started writing these kind of letters asking what needs to be done next and how is this helping
02:33the Indian democracy, how is this helping in strengthening the Indian democracy. With Aishwarya.
02:37All right Aishwarya, since you're also at the heart of the protest at Rajiv Chok, take us through what
02:41is happening at the ground here. It's because from what our colleague Anjali was telling us it seems
02:45the entire Connaught place of Rajiv Chok as it's known, life has been thrown out of gear. Take us through
02:50what you see
02:51around you.
02:57Well you know let me show you how Congress supporters in large numbers in fact
03:01Aritanshu they have turned turned out and they are all now saying sitting here on the streets in the
03:07heart of the national capital that is cannot place also all of them you know with a bit in fact
03:11a
03:11poster of the CEC. Yarish Kumar you know that those posters of the CEC now being held and they are
03:19now
03:20saying what they really want is for him to resign and they are saying that they will not stop till
03:25the time. The resignation actually happens of the CEC that is Yanish Kumar.
03:30Tera Karno log janata jo hai wo ye sawal pooch rahe hai aur wahi sawal Congress party bhi pooch rahi
03:36hai.
03:36So you know these are the kind of slogans that one can very clearly hear and you know the buses
03:41are
03:41behind me most of the MPs in fact have started sitting in the buses however what's kept a secret
03:46so far is the spot is the final destination where the MPs and the Congress top leadership will head.
03:52They have had the lunch and now the surprise element coming in maybe just a couple of minutes.
03:57We will get to know which side the Congress party will be heading.
04:00Oh well yes of course while we try to speculate on what their destination is going to be some say
04:04it's going to be some say it's going to be Rajputs today. Aishwarya I would just like to
04:11show you to point out the scenes around you because from what I could see behind you the Congress
04:16workers actually sitting on the streets on Raji Chok. Are we looking at a possible Chaka Jam that's
04:20happening at probably the busiest arterial choke point of the national capital?
04:28Well definitely let me tell you the heart of the national capital is completely
04:32choked. It's Chokka block on one side you can see how there are cars that have been piled up. The
04:37Delhi
04:38police let me tell you is trying its level best to make sure that there is smooth movement of the
04:42traffic but that is something which at the moment seems unlikely because this also is the Russia.
04:48There are many many restaurants in the national capital and if you have people sitting on the
04:53floor and you know on the road and covering more than half of the road then you can imagine the
04:59traffic situation. Most of the people have in fact been advised not to come towards the outer circle
05:05and they have been asked you know to take alternate routes because from here we will see all of them
05:11moving towards the final destination that also could become a Chokka block point because you
05:16have the buses you have the people out on the streets and once Rahul Gandhi will in fact come
05:20out you will see uh the support swell up for Rahul Gandhi. That's very good to stay on with us
05:25our
05:26colleague Amit Bhavwaj is also reporting as India today of course keeps the lead and the coverage
05:29of the opposition protests against the CEC. Amit if I can come to you and if you can hear me
05:33take us to what other scenes you see around you tell us your exact location in the Connaught Place area
05:38and what are you seeing around here at this moment?
05:47Well the leaders have started to come out of Mohit's. I saw Emachal Chief Minister Mr. Sukhu
05:55you know boarding one of these buses the three buses which are lined up. Rev. Reddy had just come a
06:01few
06:01minutes back to Mohit's restaurant and after that he has also joined the MPs who are supposed to leave in
06:07any time from now. Kiran Reddy again MP from Telangana and other MPs are boarded in this particular buses
06:14these three buses rather which are queued up in front of Mohit's and the NSY workers and youth congress
06:20workers are already charged up. So I'll request Manish to give you a you know view of how things are
06:27unfolding
06:29near Minto Brez where this entire troop of leaders in these buses will be moving from. So these are the
06:39IYC workers
06:40and the NSY workers.
