New Delhi, Sept. 25 -- Protests against the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar have spread to several parts of the country amid the ongoing controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Congress leaders and workers held demonstrations and marches in multiple cities, including Delhi, Chandigarh, Lucknow and Guwahati, raising concerns over the electoral-roll revision exercise and demanding greater accountability from the poll panel. The protests are part of the wider Opposition campaign against the Election Commission's handling of the SIR process. Congress has alleged that the exercise could lead to the exclusion of eligible voters and has questioned the manner in which electoral rolls are being revised.
In Delhi, the protests focused on the Election Commission and its handling of voter-list revision. Party leaders have been seeking answers from the poll panel over the inclusion and deletion of names and the procedures being followed during the SIR exercise. Similar demonstrations were reported in Chandigarh, Lucknow and Guwahati, with Congress workers taking to the streets to register their opposition to the Election Commission's actions.
The protests come at a time when the poll panel is facing increased scrutiny over its functioning and internal decision-making. Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi have reportedly raised objections on several occasions over matters linked to electoral-roll revision and the Commission's systems. The Election Commission has maintained that differences of opinion and observations are part of its internal deliberations and has said that decisions of the full Commission have been unanimous. The SIR exercise has become a major political flashpoint, with Opposition parties questioning the process and demanding safeguards to ensure that no eligible voter is removed from the electoral rolls.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has also been vocal in his criticism of the Election Commission and has raised allegations concerning the electoral process. The party has continued to press for greater transparency and accountability from the poll panel. The protests are also taking place against the backdrop of a broader mobilisation involving the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), which has separately announced plans for demonstrations and demanded action over the SIR-related controversy.
The Election Commission, however, has rejected allegations that its electoral-roll revision process is aimed at disenfranchising legitimate voters. It has maintained that the exercise is intended to ensure that electoral rolls remain accurate and that eligible voters are included. With protests now being reported across multiple states and Union Territories, the dispute over the SIR exercise and the functioning of the Election Commission continues to intensify.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.