SRINAGAR: The Congress on Monday held protests in Jammu and Kashmir against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, with party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera leading the agitation in Srinagar and demanding his resignation.
Congress leaders and workers gathered outside the party’s office at Lal Chowk in Srinagar and raised slogans including “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod” and “Jab Jab Modi Darta Hai, Police Ko Aage Karta Hai”. The protesters also carried posters accusing the BJP of “vote theft” and burnt an effigy of the CEC.
Police stopped the protesters outside the Congress office and prevented them from moving beyond the barricades.
Addressing reporters, Khera said the Congress was holding protests across the country because it believed elections were being “stolen”, and claimed that evidence of this had emerged from the Election Commission of India itself.
Khera alleged that two Election Commissioners had expressed disagreement with the CEC over decisions concerning the electoral process, including changes to Form 6 without a constitutional amendment.
“Since Form 6 is illegal, it means the entire SIR process is illegal. All the names cut and added through SIR are illegal and if that is illegal then polls in Bihar and Bengal are also illegal,” Khera alleged.
He demanded Kumar’s resignation and called for an independent investigation into the allegations raised by the opposition.
In Jammu, Congress leaders led by party working president Raman Bhalla staged a separate protest at Shaheedi Chowk.
Addressing party workers, Bhalla said the Election Commission must uphold its constitutional responsibilities and ensure transparency in the electoral process.
“CEC Gyanesh Kumar has committed murder of democracy. He has cut 13 crore votes in the country despite these being genuine voters. Action should be taken against him. If we have to save the country and democracy, action has to be taken against him,” Bhalla said.
Bhalla also referred to concerns raised by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over alleged “Vote Chori” and said allegations concerning the integrity of elections could not be ignored.
Congress leaders participating in the protests alleged that Kumar had lost the moral authority to continue in office following reports that two Election Commissioners had recorded objections to decisions and orders concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
The protesters in Jammu attempted to march towards the Deputy Commissioner’s office but were stopped by police amid heavy security deployment.
The protests in Srinagar and Jammu were part of the Congress’s nationwide agitation over the functioning of the Election Commission and allegations concerning the electoral process following recent media reports.
