Congress workers staged protests across several states on Friday by attempting to march towards state election commission offices in various parts of the country, demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's immediate arrest, removal from office, and an independent review of all decisions and electoral roll changes made under him.
The opposition party also accused the Election Commission of carrying out an "unprecedented attack" on voter equality by allegedly creating a specific 'Mark VIP' feature in the BLO application and urged Kumar to either turn "approver" or face trial.
Several senior leaders, including party's deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, and workers were detained as police used barricades to stop them from marching towards the state election commission offices in various state capitals.
The protests were organised as part of a nationwide programme directed by the All India Congress Committee (AICC), with party workers marching towards Election Commission offices and raising slogans against Kumar in Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and other states.
Gogoi was detained by Assam Police during a protest in Assam. Speaking to news agency ANI, he demanded Kumar's resignation and legal action against the Chief Election Commissioner, alleging irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission.
"Today, as people have come to know that Gyanesh Kumar Ji has committed a crime and committed an act of treason, he should resign today and legal action should be taken against him," Gogoi told ANI.
He also alleged that the controversy concerned the fundamental right of citizens to vote and accused the Election Commission of failing to protect electoral rolls.
"Today, India is a democracy because there are fair elections, and the people's right to vote is secure. Today, they have attacked democracy," Gogoi said.
In Delhi, Congress leaders and workers staged a protest against Kumar, demanding his resignation and an independent audit of SIR of electoral rolls in the city.
Several party workers gathered at the Delhi Congress office on Rouse Avenue and marched towards the BJP headquarters on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg before proceeding to the Election Commission office at Nirvachan Sadan.
Also, wearing masks bearing Kumar's face and with their hands bound in chains, Indian Youth Congress workers in Delhi protested against the EC, demanding Kumar's resignation.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said all decisions taken by Kumar including SIR are "null and void".
"We are sure the Supreme Court is watching what is happening and will take the right steps at the right time," he said.
"We want to say to Gyanesh Kumar: it's done bro. Heed Rahul Gandhi's advice -- resign and turn approver," Khera said, adding that if Kumar does not do so, he should be ready to face trial.
Congress general secretary in-charge organisation KC Venugopal said, "Gyanesh will go, it's a matter of time. And then Congress will make it happen."
The protests held by our leaders and workers across the country demanding his removal are just the beginning, he said.
"There will be a massive outpouring of the defenders of democracy, against the deshdrohis who are out to destroy it," Venugopal said.
Every Indian who is even slightly concerned about saving our democracy should step out and mount unbelievable pressure on this regime and its puppets to fix accountability for this daylight robbery of our vote, and to ensure those guilty are severely punished for destroying our democracy, he said.
The protesters raised slogans and displayed posters and banners demanding accountability from Kumar as they marched from the IYC office on Raisina Road towards the EC headquarters.
In Patna, Congress workers staged a march to the poll panel's office in the city, demanding the resignation of Kumar. Police used water cannons to prevent the protesters from reaching the poll panel office.
Punjab Congress, led by state unit chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, also staged a protest in Chandigarh, demanding the dismissal and arrest of Kumar, with the police using water cannon on protesters as they tried to march towards the EC office to gherao it.
In Manipur, Congress workers led by Pradesh Congress Committee president Okram Ibobi Singh and Congress Legislature Party leader Keisham Meghachandra Singh marched towards the Chief Electoral Office at Lamphelpat, demanding the arrest and prosecution of Kumar.
The protest turned violent as demonstrators scuffled with police, following which police personnel used tear gas shells. Congress workers also burnt an effigy of Kumar.
In Dehradun, Uttarakhand Congress leaders and workers led by state in-charge Kumari Selja and Pradesh Congress Committee president Ganesh Godiyal marched from the PCC headquarters towards the Election Office at the state Secretariat to gherao the office.
In Jammu, heavy police deployment was made outside the Election Commission office during the Congress protest, while in Srinagar, Congress MLAs staged a protest inside the Legislative Assembly and raised banners demanding Kumar's immediate resignation.
In Chandigarh, Congress workers marched towards the poll panel's office demanding Kumar's resignation. Police used water cannons to prevent the protesters from reaching the Election Commission office.
In Lucknow, Congress workers gathered at the party's state office and staged a demonstration over the SIR exercise, with the party also planning to lay siege to the State Election Commission office in Hazratganj.
In Itanagar, the Arunachal Pradesh Congress staged a demonstration near Nirvachan Bhawan, demanding that the SIR exercise be halted and calling for an independent inquiry into decisions relating to electoral rolls. The party also sought criminal proceedings against Kumar and demanded that all files related to the SIR exercise be placed in the custody of the Supreme Court. The protest was held peacefully, officials said.
Haryana Congress also protested and police used water cannons against the protesters to prevent the gherao of office of the chief electoral officer.
Himachal Pradesh Congress held a protest outside the EC office in Shimla demanding the immediate removal of Kumar and his arrest.
Congress workers burnt an effigy of Kumar in Shillong, demanding his removal and arrest.
In Kolkata, the West Bengal Congress took out a march to the Election Commission office demanding Kumar's arrest. The protest, part of the party's nationwide agitation, was led by state Congress chief Subhankar Sarkar and saw a large participation of party workers from various districts,
The march began outside the Calcutta University's College Street campus and was headed towards the state chief electoral officer's office on Strand Road amid heavy police deployment. Police stopped the protesters at the B B Ganguly Street crossing in central Kolkata, following which the demonstrators burnt an effigy of Kumar and demanded his arrest, according to news agency PTI.
"We want the immediate arrest of the CEC. We will not let this protest die down so easily. It is a question of the rights of the common people," Sarkar said, adding that the party would continue its agitation until its demands were met.
A senior Kolkata Police officer said the police action was aimed at maintaining law and order and preventing traffic disruption. "The rally could have caused a huge traffic issue in the city. Our senior officers are present there," the officer told PTI.
Odisha Congress on Friday attempted to gherao the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) as part of the party’s nationwide protest.
Several Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) leaders and workers, led by state president Bhakta Charan Das, marched from the additional district magistrate's office to the CEO’s office, carrying posters and banners.
Police detained several Congress leaders and workers after stopping them from proceeding towards the CEO’s office. Congress supporters also clashed with police personnel when they were prevented from moving ahead, party leaders claimed.
“CEC Gyanesh Kumar has been exposed… He committed an unapologetic crime by supporting ‘vote chori’. If he continues in his post, our country and democracy will be destroyed. So, we demand his resignation and arrest,” Das told reporters during the protest.
Former OPCC president Jaydev Jena alleged that the BJP government had “destroyed democracy” and claimed Kumar had helped it.
“We will continue our protest until Kumar resigns,” Jena said.
In Goa, Congress protested outside the office of Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Goel. Congress leaders, including ICC Goa Desk in charge Manikrao Thakare, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, MP Capt Viriato Fernandes, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar and working president Sunil Kawthankar, marched to the CEO’s office and submitted a memorandum.
The party sought Kumar’s resignation and demanded reinstatement of all deleted voters’ names except those of deceased electors.
“Gyanesh Kumar has betrayed the nation and must be charged with treason,” Thakare said, also demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over what he called “fraud” during the SIR.
Fernandes alleged Kumar was attempting to rig the election process at the BJP’s behest, while Alemao said the deleted names should be restored.
“The ruling BJP has realised it is going to lose the election, and hence, it was trying to win through such tactics,” Alemao said.
The Indian Youth Congress separately staged a protest in Delhi, with workers wearing masks bearing Kumar's face and some protesters appearing with their hands bound in chains. They marched from the IYC office on Raisina Road towards the Election Commission headquarters, demanding the CEC's resignation.
IYC president Uday Bhanu Chib led the demonstration and called for an investigation into the electoral process and electoral rolls, along with the public release of the poll panel's internal objections and electoral records.
"We are protesting because the Election Commission is responsible for protecting the sanctity of every vote. When questions are being raised within the commission itself over decisions concerning electoral rolls, the country deserves answers and accountability," Chib said to news agency PTI.
The protests came amid a political row over the SIR exercise following a report by The Indian Express that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over 10 months to decisions and orders relating to the revision of electoral rolls.
The Congress has cited the reported objections in demanding Kumar's resignation and has accused the Election Commission of irregularities in the management of electoral rolls.
The Election Commission has rejected the characterisation of the objections as evidence of institutional dissent, saying that operational queries, internal feedback and administrative suggestions are part of the normal functioning of a multi-member constitutional body. The ECI has maintained that all final decisions, including those concerning the SIR, were unanimous.
The Congress has also indicated that opposition parties may move a motion in Parliament seeking Kumar's removal, according to party sources. The issue is expected to be discussed at the Congress Working Committee meeting scheduled for September 29 in New Delhi.
(With input from ANI and PTI)