Thiruvananthapuram, Oct. 24 -- Amid nationwide calls for the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), former Keralam Chief Minister and senior CPI(M) politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan said that strong protests were emerging across the country demanding Gyanesh Kumar's ouster. He said the CEC was "acting like an autocrat" while accusing him of "unilaterally implementing decisions" despite disagreement from other members of the poll body.

As Jantar Mantar has been denotified as a designated protest site, he argued that protests cannot be "crushed or wiped out" through repression.

"Look at how Delhi dealt with the student and youth protests demanding Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. Even Jantar Mantar, the designated venue for pro...