Union minister Ramdas Athawale has said Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar should not resign amid Opposition pressure over the SIR process, arguing that resisting transparent electoral rolls amounts to opposing the democratic system itself.
The poll panel is working impartially and should be allowed to carry out the exercise to ensure transparent elections, Athawale told reporters on Sunday.
"The Election Commission is a constitutionally independent body. Demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner and opposing transparent electoral rolls is an opposition to the democratic system itself," said the RPI (A) chief, whose party is a constituent of the BJP-led NDA.
Kumar should not resign under the Opposition's pressure, he said, claiming there are no differences among the election commissioners.
The Congress and several other parties have demanded Gyanesh Kumar's resignation after a recent investigation by The Indian Express claimed that two election commissioners formally objected at least 14 times over 10 months to the poll panel's handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
The Election Commission clarified in a statement that the three-member commission took decisions, including those relating to the SIR of electoral rolls, unanimously.
Athawale said the revision of electoral rolls is necessary for transparent elections, and names of deceased voters should be removed.
The Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment demanded an investigation into instances where more than 40 voters are registered at a small house.
In a dig at the Cockroach Janta Party for demanding the CEC's resignation, he said the outfit should change its name to 'Rajinama Janata Party' as it had earlier demanded the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. "Every time, it is not right to demand someone's resignation," Athawale added.
(With Inputs From PTI)