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The October 10 protest is expected to bring together INDIA bloc-linked Opposition groups and student organisations in New Delhi to press their allegations regarding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and demand the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
NEW DELHI, October 7 (PMI): Opposition parties and student organisations are set to intensify their protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, with another demonstration planned in the national capital on October 10 over alleged irregularities in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The proposed October 10 protest comes amid a series of demonstrations by Opposition parties against the Election Commission. INDIA bloc MPs had staged a major protest on October 6, marching from Parliament towards the Election Commission of India headquarters in New Delhi and demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. The march was stopped by police, following which several Opposition MPs staged a sit-in protest.
The Opposition has alleged that the SIR exercise has resulted in irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls and has raised concerns over changes relating to voter registration. The INDIA bloc has demanded that the SIR exercise be scrapped and that names allegedly removed from electoral rolls be restored. These are Opposition allegations; the Election Commission has defended the revision process and rejected allegations of wrongdoing.
Five Left organisations, including the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), have also announced their support for the October 10 mobilisation. The organisations said their participation was aimed at consolidating the broader movement against what they describe as irregularities in the electoral-roll revision process.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and student organisations have announced that the October 10 demonstration will be held at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Representatives of the groups have submitted a formal intimation to the Delhi Police regarding the proposed protest.
The latest mobilisation follows the INDIA bloc’s October 6 protest, in which several senior Opposition leaders, including Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, participated. The leaders attempted to march towards the Election Commission headquarters but were stopped by police. They subsequently staged a sit-in near Parliament Street and the Akashvani Bhavan area. Some leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, were later detained by Delhi Police and subsequently released.
The Opposition has made the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar one of its principal demands. During the October 6 protest, INDIA bloc MPs also raised demands concerning the SIR exercise and the restoration of electoral-roll entries that they allege were removed during the revision process.
The October 10 demonstration is therefore expected to bring together political and student groups on a common platform. Organisers have indicated that the mobilisation is intended to put further pressure on the Election Commission over the electoral-roll revision issue and to highlight their demand for greater transparency in the electoral process.
The continuing protests have intensified the political debate over the functioning of the Election Commission and the revision of electoral rolls. While Opposition parties and participating organisations have questioned the process, the Election Commission has maintained that the electoral-roll revision is part of the established electoral framework.
The October 10 protest is expected to be closely watched as the Opposition and supporting student organisations continue their campaign over the SIR exercise and their demand for accountability from the Election Commission. (pressmediaofindia.com)
