Ponnam Prabhakar Slams Centre Over Arrests of Election Protesters in Delhi

Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has strongly condemned the Centre over alleged restrictions on protests in Delhi, questioning whether people raising concerns about electoral irregularities were being arrested for exercising their democratic rights. He urged the Centre to protect voters’ rights and uphold the constitutional freedom to protest peacefully.

In a video statement released on Saturday, Prabhakar said every citizen had the right to express dissent in a democratic manner. He expressed concern over the reported restrictions on transport facilities, disruptions to metro and train services, internet shutdowns, the deployment of thousands of police personnel and the detention of protesters in Delhi.

Condemning the measures on behalf of the Telangana Congress, the minister said public concerns should be addressed through dialogue rather than suppression. He stressed that the government had a responsibility to respond to citizens’ fears about the safety and integrity of their voting rights.

Describing the right to vote as a fundamental pillar of democracy, Prabhakar called on the Centre to take allegations of electoral irregularities seriously. He urged authorities to ensure that no eligible citizen was deprived of voting rights during the revision of electoral rolls.

The minister also demanded the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar from office. Referring to opposition parties’ allegations of “vote theft”, he asked the Centre to provide a clear response and take transparent measures to restore public confidence in the electoral system.

Prabhakar said the concerns of protesters should be heard and resolved instead of being met with arrests and restrictions. He drew a parallel with India’s freedom struggle, stating that the fight to protect the Constitution, democratic values and voting rights reflected the spirit of that movement.

He demanded an immediate end to the alleged restrictions on protesters in Delhi and called for an environment where citizens could demonstrate peacefully. Reiterating the party’s position, Prabhakar said the Telangana Congress would continue its struggle to safeguard constitutional principles, democratic freedoms and every eligible citizen’s right to vote.