After hosting a high tea for INDIA bloc leaders, Opposition MPs, student organisations and civil society representatives at his Jattvibeehri Bagh Road residence on Tuesday, Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi vowed to sustain the agitation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, declaring that “no matter what happened, political resistance would continue and it would triumph”.Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the CEC of undermining democratic institutions, Rahul said the Opposition would fight until democracy was restored and those responsible were brought to justice.Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Rahul asserted that the Opposition was united and there were no parallel protests, but one movement with a common vision of democracy in India.“Jantar Mantar had been one of the spaces where citizens could express democratic dissent, but the government has decided it could no longer be used for that purpose. We are going to challenge that idea. The people who have done this–PM Modi, who is the main architect, Amit Shah, who is the implementer, Gyanesh Kumar and others–need to understand that the net is closing around them,” Rahul said, thanking the people of Delhi and others across the country who had stood with the Opposition.Expressing respect for the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice of India and the judicial system, Rahul said the judiciary had a role to play and the Opposition hoped it would discharge that responsibility.Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Opposition was preparing to expose the Modi government’s “plan to facilitate vote chori”.RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav accused Gyanesh Kumar of acting at the behest of Modi and Shah and crushing democracy. Describing the CEC as a “puppet”, he said the Opposition would respond to the alleged actions and those responsible would face consequences. “The decision to denotify Jantar Mantar as protest site reflects their fear,” he said.CPI leader D Raja said senior INDIA bloc leaders had discussed the prevailing political situation and the way forward for the agitation demanding the CEC’s resignation. “Delhi is our city, but there are barricades everywhere. They say it is because of protests. Yes, protests will take place and you cannot suppress them,” he said.NCP(SP) MP Supriya Sule said the INDIA bloc stood firmly together and would continue its agitation.Activist Prashant Bhushan said an agitation against alleged vote theft and Gyanesh Kumar had been underway in Delhi since October 2. He alleged that restrictions had been imposed on the Metro, shops and railway services and paramilitary forces deployed to contain the protests.CPM general secretary MA Baby alleged that Gyanesh Kumar, whose responsibility was to function impartially, was working for the ruling party.TMC MP Sagarika Ghose said the agitation would continue until the CEC resigned and criminal cases were registered against election officials found involved in wrongdoing.Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut accused Gyanesh Kumar of criminalising the system and called him a “mafia”. He alleged that the Modi-Shah government had kept the country under a climate of fear for 10 years, but was now resorting to force because it was itself afraid.“In this battle for justice, the INDIA alliance stands united. We will fight to the last breath against the ‘vote thieves’ who murder democracy, and we will win,” said SP MP Harendra Malik.Student representative Neha Bora said the coming together of Opposition parties and student organisations was significant, arguing that an attack on voting rights amounted to an attack on democracy.The high tea was attended by Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, Bhupesh Baghel, Sachin Pilot and other senior leaders. Also present were Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.Among the MPs and other political leaders present were RJD MP Manoj Jha, Congress MPs Karti P Chidambaram, Shashi Tharoor, Deepender Hooda and Gaurav Gogoi, CPM MP John Brittas, Samajwadi Party MPs Pushpendra Saroj and Awadhesh Prasad.The gathering also included Samajwadi Party leader Mohibbullah Nadvi, activist Yogendra Yadav, JMM leader Mahua Manjhi, Kerala Minister Ramesh Chennithala and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Thol Thirumavalavan.