New Delhi, Sep 25: The Congress protested on Monday and demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over the summary revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the exercise has caused difficulties for voters in JJ clusters and unauthorised colonies.
Delhi Congress workers gathered at the party office on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg and tried to march to Nirvachan Sadan, but police stopped them by erecting barricades.
The party alleged that residents, particularly those in JJ clusters and unauthorised colonies, struggled to produce documents the poll authorities sought within the stipulated period.
“In the SIR process, there should have been complete transparency, non-discrimination and equal rights. Instead, the Election Commission has divided the country, particularly Delhi, into two classes,” a Congress worker said.
The party also alleged that discrepancies in details such as parents’ ages, spellings and addresses could result from errors in computer-generated data and should not cause hardship for voters.
All India Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba alleged that the BJP-led government’s hold on power had been protected through “vote theft” and accused Kumar of facilitating it.
“It has become public knowledge in the country that the BJP central government retained power solely due to vote theft, something Kumar has been doing and continues to do,” Lamba told PTI Videos.
She also criticised BJP leaders who demanded that Kumar be awarded the Bharat Ratna. “People are laughing because some BJP leaders are demanding that Kumar should receive the Bharat Ratna. This is a mockery of the Bharat Ratna and an insult to those who have been awarded the Bharat Ratna so far,” Lamba said.
“This nationwide movement led by the Indian National Congress will not stop or slow down until Kumar resigns, is removed from his post and his decisions are overturned,” she said.
The protesters also accused the BJP of trying to undermine the electoral process and said the Congress would continue its agitation against Kumar.
Police and paramilitary personnel were deployed along Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg and outside Nirvachan Sadan, with barricades and detention buses placed at the protest sites. (PTI)
