RANCHI: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) workers staged a protest and ‘gherao’ of the Lok Bhavan in Ranchi on Wednesday against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
A large number of JMM workers and supporters took part in the demonstration. Adding a distinctive element to the protest, some workers arrived at the Lok Bhavan on camels.
JMM leaders and workers raised objections to the SIR process and questioned the functioning of the Election Commission. They demanded transparency in the electoral roll revision and urged that their objections be taken into consideration. The protesters also raised slogans against the government and the Election Commission.
Rajya Sabha MP Dr Mahua Maji said the protest was directed against what she described as the “biased attitude” of the CEC. She questioned how democracy could survive if constitutional institutions acted in favour of a particular party.
“The Chief Election Commissioner was disregarding the views of the two other Election Commissioners; consequently, all electoral processes completed during Gyanesh Kumar's tenure are illegal,” Maji said.
