AICC general secretary K C Venugopal on Sunday said the Congress would continue its agitation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar until he was removed from office and steps were taken to ensure an impartial and transparent electoral system.
Speaking to reporters, Venugopal said the protests would continue across states and districts, with only a brief pause for the Diwali festival. He described the November 1 rally organised by the Congress in New Delhi as one of the strongest protests in the country and said the party's campaign was directed against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
“We will withdraw from this agitation only after Gyanesh Kumar is removed from the post and steps are taken to make India's electoral system and processes flawless, impartial and fair. This is not a struggle that we will abandon midway,” he said.
Venugopal alleged that deletions from electoral rolls could deprive poor people not only of their voting rights but also of access to government benefits, which he claimed were increasingly being linked to voter identity cards.
The Congress would launch a nationwide 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao' campaign at the panchayat level over the next one-and-a-half months, he said. As part of the initiative, the party would appoint a 'Vote Rakshak' at every polling booth to verify electoral rolls, identify deleted names and visit the affected voters' homes to help them secure their restoration.
Party units were already organising programmes across states and districts, while efforts were under way to coordinate joint campaigns with other political parties, Venugopal said.
He added that the Congress would raise the issue during the upcoming Parliament session, along with other recent controversies and matters of public concern. Referring to the previous session, he claimed that Shah had been unable to enter the House for nearly two weeks because of Opposition protests.
On the functioning of the Keralam government, Venugopal said the state had a capable administration and would address the concerns raised against it. While isolated incidents and administrative shortcomings were inevitable, the government would take appropriate action wherever necessary, he said.
Defending the government over allegations linking Excise Minister M Liju to bar owners, Venugopal said public representatives routinely interacted with people, including businesspersons, in their constituencies.
He also questioned why former Excise Commissioner Seeram Sambasiva Rao had not raised allegations of corruption in the department while he was still in office. However, he said the government had agreed to examine the complaint and take necessary action.
(With inputs from PTI)