Congress workers staged protests across several states on Friday, September 25, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Election Commission’s handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The protests were held in several state capitals, with Congress workers attempting to march towards Election Commission offices and raising slogans against Kumar. Protests were reported in Delhi, Bihar, Assam, Punjab, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Goa, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
The nationwide protest was organised by the All India Congress Committee amid a political row over the functioning of the Election Commission and objections raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
The Indian Express reported that Sandhu and Joshi had formally objected at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders concerning electoral roll revision. The objections reportedly covered changes to Form 6, additions and deletions from electoral rolls and centralised control of the electoral roll database.
The Election Commission, however, has rejected the characterisation of the objections as evidence of an institutional split. It has said that differing views, operational queries and administrative suggestions are part of the normal functioning of a multi-member constitutional body, and maintained that all final decisions, including those concerning SIR, were unanimous.
In Delhi, Congress leaders and workers gathered at Jantar Mantar and marched towards the Election Commission headquarters, demanding Kumar’s resignation and an independent audit of the SIR exercise. Indian Youth Congress workers separately protested wearing masks bearing Kumar’s face, with some appearing with their hands bound in chains.
Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera alleged that decisions taken by Kumar, including those relating to SIR, were “null and void”. He also called for Kumar to resign and face legal proceedings if he did not step down.
In Karnataka, the state Congress is set to hold a protest in Bengaluru on Saturday, September 26, seeking Kumar’s resignation and arrest. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president BK Hariprasad has alleged that voters have been deleted from electoral rolls in Bihar, West Bengal and Karnataka and said the party would hold further protests across the state. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) has also planned a protest on September 28.
In Patna, Congress workers marched towards the Election Commission office and attempted to cross police barricades. Police used water cannons to stop them, and several protesters were detained. Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram demanded Kumar’s resignation and alleged that the Election Commission was “compromised”.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring led a protest in Chandigarh, where police again used water cannons as party workers attempted to move towards the poll panel’s office. Congress workers in Himachal Pradesh also protested outside the Election Commission office in Shimla, demanding Kumar’s removal and arrest.
In Assam, state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi and other senior leaders were detained while attempting to cross police barricades. The state unit had marched from its headquarters towards the Chief Electoral Officer’s office as part of the nationwide programme.
West Bengal Congress chief Subhankar Sarkar led a march from the Calcutta University campus towards the state Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Kolkata. Police stopped the protesters, who subsequently burnt an effigy of Kumar and demanded his arrest.
In Manipur, Congress workers marched towards the Chief Electoral Office in Imphal, demanding Kumar’s arrest and prosecution. The protest turned confrontational, with demonstrators scuffling with police, following which tear gas was used. An effigy of Kumar was also burnt.
Congress workers also protested in Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Goa and Jammu and Kashmir. In Itanagar, the party sought a halt to SIR and an independent inquiry into decisions concerning electoral rolls. In Goa, Congress submitted a memorandum seeking Kumar’s resignation and restoration of deleted voter names, except those of deceased electors.
In Srinagar, Congress MLAs held a protest inside the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, displaying banners demanding Kumar’s resignation. In Jammu, heavy police deployment was made outside the Election Commission office during the party’s demonstration.
In Odisha, police detained several Congress leaders and workers after stopping them from marching towards the Chief Electoral Officer’s office. Party workers also clashed with police, according to Congress leaders.
Congress leaders have also demanded the publication of details of voters deleted during SIR, including state-wise and constituency-wise figures, the reasons for deletion, objections received and names subsequently restored. The party has sought an audit trail showing who altered voter data, when the changes were made and whose approval was obtained.
The Congress has indicated that the issue could also be taken up in Parliament, while the controversy over the Election Commission’s internal decision-making and the SIR exercise is expected to be discussed at the Congress Working Committee meeting scheduled for September 29.