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Senior Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Friday accused the Centre of unleashing a brutal crackdown on protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the government was terrified of growing public anger over the functioning of the Election Commission.
In a post on X, Jairam Ramesh said, "Today, citizens and Congress workers took to the streets to demand accountability for the subversion of their constitutional right to vote and the unscrupulous actions of the Chief Election Commissioner." "The fearful Modi government unleashed a brutal crackdown on protesters, detaining Congress leaders and workers, young citizens, students, and social activists across the country," he added. Ramesh further alleged, "Facing the countdown to their exit, the desperate PM-HM duo is terrified of the growing despair, anger, and outrage among the public. This anger stems from the manner in which the Election Commission has been co-opted and forced to function in violation of all constitutional principles and conventions." The opposition parties protests across several states come amid a political row over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of electoral rolls, following a report by The Indian Express claiming that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections multiple times over 10 months regarding decisions and procedures linked to electoral rolls and database access. The Election Commission has rejected the characterisation of these objections as institutional dissent, stating that operational queries, internal feedback and administrative suggestions are part of the normal functioning of a multi-member constitutional body. The poll body has maintained that all final decisions related to the SIR exercise were unanimous. Meanwhile, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Friday staged a protest from Rajiv Bhawan in Guwahati, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and an impartial review of decisions taken and alterations made to electoral rolls during his tenure. The protests come amid opposition demands for accountability from the Election Commission over its functioning and the SIR exercise. Under the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, the Chief Election Commissioner can only be removed from office through a Parliamentary process requiring a majority of the total membership of the House and a majority of not less than two-thirds of members present and voting, followed by approval from the President. (ANI)
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