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Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat on Saturday demanded punishment for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid an ongoing political row over the SIR exercise, declaring that "Kala Pani" is the appropriate punishment for Kumar based on the magnitude of his position and the alleged gravity of his misconduct.
Speaking to ANI, Bhagat asserted that allegedly granting blatant favour to a specific political party or government by the Election Commission of India violates the Constitution of India. "...The very machinery that runs the nation's governance, the electoral system, is supposed to be impartial. If that system becomes biased, acting in favour of a specific party or government, it violates the Constitution... I noticed yesterday: the BJP released a list of state in-charges. I was looking for the name Gyanesh Kumar on that list, but it wasn't there. Regardless, I believe the punishment for this should be 'Kala Pani.' Given the position he held, the magnitude of the responsibility, and the gravity of his misconduct, I feel that Kala Pani is the appropriate punishment..." said Bhagat. Bhagat's remarks come amid a political row over the SIR exercise following a news report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months concerning decisions and procedures related to electoral rolls and database access. This development triggered sharp reactions from opposition parties. JMM Spokesperson Manoj Pandey alleged that the BJP benefited from the conduct of the Chief Election Commissioner, which led to the formation of their governments in two to four states. Speaking to ANI, Pandey accused Kumar of acting in an authoritarian manner regarding the SIR matter despite objections raised by the Election Commissioners, alleging that decisions were made on Kumar's personal whims. "There is an immediate need for an impartial inquiry committee, whether it is an SIT led by an impartial retired judge or a Joint Parliamentary Committee. The current central government is unlikely to act, given the apparent collusion involved; the BJP benefited from these actions, specifically the conduct of the Chief Election Commissioner, leading to the formation of governments in 2-4 states. Consider how these governments were formed and the decisions taken: objections raised by the two other Election Commissioners were ignored. Fourteen objections were raised, yet Gyanesh Kumar made unilateral decisions in a completely authoritarian manner. There are no meeting minutes, no agenda, and no consensus; it seems decisions were made simply based on personal whim..." said Pandey. (ANI)
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