New Delhi [India], October 27 (ANI): The Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Tuesday held a human chain protest in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and calling for the cancellation of the exercise.
The protest was organised as part of the ongoing agitation.
Speaking to ANI, CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar said the agitation would be intensified in the coming days.
"This is actually part of the ongoing agitation. We will intensify it in the coming days. This is the CPI(M) protest. Many comrades are joining, and on November 1st, there will be a massive rally. Our protest march and other programs will continue to happen," he said.
CPI General Secretary D Raja demanded the resignation of the CEC and called for the restoration of Jantar Mantar as a protest venue.
"Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar should resign, and Jantar Mantar should be restored for people to protest," Raja said.
CPI leader Annie Raja also demanded the cancellation of the SIR exercise.
"SIR, which is happening in our country, is a pause. So we want the government to cancel that SIR and also Gyanesh Kumar should resign. So we are demanding this," she said.
Earlier in the day, CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar questioned the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to defend its SIR of electoral rolls as unanimous, alleging that the decision remained unacceptable and violated the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
Reacting to the ECI’s affidavit before the Supreme Court, Kumar said unanimity among the three Election Commissioners did not absolve the poll body of responsibility for the decisions taken.
“Whether it was unanimous or whether it was a majority decision, that makes no difference at all. The decision was unwanted, the decision is not acceptable, and that is in violation of the 1960 electoral registration rules,” he told ANI.
Kumar questioned whether the SIR exercise was required and who had ordered changes to Form 6. He also alleged that the ECI had failed to submit details of the proceedings behind its decisions.
“If now they say, ‘Oh, we all three took the decision’, if all three took a decision, even then it is not acceptable because that is against the 1960 electoral registration rules,” he said.
“These are all, you know, tactics of the Election Commission to save Gyanesh Kumar,” he added. (ANI)
"Gyanesh Kumar should resign”: Left parties holds human chain protest in Delhi, demands cancellation of SIR
