INDIA bloc protest: Cong seeks CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, cancellation of SIR

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday said the INDIA bloc’s protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar is aimed at demanding his resignation and the cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The party also called for elections to be conducted using ballot papers, alleging that free and fair elections are not taking place.

Speaking to IANS, Congress MP Imran Masood said, “The CEC should resign. Gyanesh Kumar has broken the trust that the Election Commission had earned as an independent and impartial institution in the country. When we demand Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, the BJP starts raising questions.”

On the decision of the AAP, DMK and BJD to skip the INDIA bloc’s protest against the CEC, Masood said, “Those who are walking hand in hand with Rahul Gandhi will be the ones seen in this fight. The rest will either be swept away in the storm or will remain on the other side and be swept away.”

Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat said the INDIA bloc parties were protesting against the SIR exercise and demanding the CEC’s resignation.

“Today, all the INDIA bloc parties are protesting from Makar Dwar. The purpose behind this is, first, that Gyanesh Kumar should resign, and the SIR should be cancelled. Elections should then be held using ballot papers because fair elections are not taking place,” Bhagat said.

Congress MP Karamvir Singh Boudh said that some people holding constitutional positions were misusing their authority and affecting citizens’ voting rights.

“Some people holding constitutional posts and positions in constitutional departments are acting arbitrarily and misusing their positions. They are not only misusing their positions, but the right to vote given to the people under India’s democracy and Constitution by Babasaheb Dr BR Ambedkar has been taken away,” he said.

Boudh further added that people across the country believed their legitimate votes had been wrongly deleted during the SIR exercise, while incorrect entries were rectified.

Meanwhile, Opposition INDIA bloc MPs on Tuesday will stage a protest march from Parliament to the ECI headquarters in New Delhi over allegations of “vote theft” linked to the SIR of electoral rolls.

The protest comes amid a series of nationwide campaigns targeting CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

INDIA bloc leaders are also expected to meet President Droupadi Murmu to raise their concerns over the SIR exercise. The protest call was issued following a meeting of 19 Opposition parties on September 30.

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