Demanding transparency in the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and immediate removal of the chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with the two other election commissioners, the Uttarakhand Congress held a massive demonstration near the office of election commission in Dehradun on Friday. The programme was part of a series of such protests organised across the country in the call given by the All India Congress Committee (AICC).
Led by the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Ganesh Godiyal and the in-charge of the State party unit Kumari Selja, the Congress leaders and workers marched to the State secretariat. As a mark of their protest, the Congress workers burned an effigy of the CEC Kumar.
While handing over a memorandum addressed to the President, to the sub divisional magistrate, the State Congress demanded that CEC and both the election commissioners should be immediately removed from their posts and arrested. They also demanded that all the decisions made by the CEC and election commissioners should be cancelled.
The PCC president said ECI is an important constitutional institution in the country’s democratic system and conducting free, fair and transparent elections is its responsibility. He said in recent times, many questions have arisen regarding the electoral process, revision of electoral rolls and electoral transparency. In particular, the process of adding and deleting names from the voter list and resolving objections has raised concerns among political parties and ordinary voters. The election commission is not taking any cognizance of complaints from opposition parties regarding discrimination in the SIR process.
The Congress leaders said that despite the disagreement of two election commissioners, unilateral unconstitutional decisions are being taken by CEC Kumar, which is a complete violation of the democratic system.
The leader of opposition in Vidhan Sabha Yashpal Arya, former chief minister Harish Rawat, Congress Working Committee member Karan Mahara, deputy leader of Congress legislature party Bhuvan Kapdi, former speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal, former MP Pradeep Tamta, MLAs Mamta Rakesh, Furkan Ahmed, Lakhpat Butola, Ravi Bahadur and other leaders attended the protest.
