Alappuzha (Keralam) [India], September 26 (ANI): Leader of Opposition in Keralam Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday alleged that the Election Commission has lost its credibility amid the ongoing row over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, saying protests against the poll body would intensify.
Speaking in Alappuzha, Vijayan said the recent developments concerning the Election Commission were “not befitting a democracy” and accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of turning his personal views into decisions.
“The Election Commission has lost its credibility. The Commission is being questioned in a manner never seen before. The information that has come out is not befitting a democracy. The Chief Election Commissioner is turning his personal views into decisions and adopting one-sided positions. Protests against this will intensify,” he said.
Vijayan also raised concerns over the procedures being followed under the SIR exercise, saying they posed a threat to privacy.
“The procedures being followed under the SIR exercise pose a threat to privacy. States that successfully implemented population control measures should not be penalised in the delimitation of constituencies,” he said.
The remarks came amid a political row over the functioning of the Election Commission following The Indian Express report saying that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months regarding decisions and procedures related to the SIR exercise.
Earlier on Friday, Vijayan had demanded the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and an immediate halt to the SIR exercise of electoral rolls.
“The revelations about objections raised by two Election Commissioners over decisions concerning voter registration, deletion of names and #SIR raise grave questions about the functioning of the ECI. CEC Gyanesh Kumar must be removed, SIR must be halted, the voting rights of those wrongfully excluded must be restored, and the independence and credibility of the Election Commission must be protected,” Vijayan had posted on X.
“The right to vote belongs to the people of India. It cannot be manipulated to serve the political interests of the BJP and Sangh Parivar,” he added.
The Opposition parties, including Congress, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Left parties, have stepped up criticism of the Election Commission, alleging concerns over electoral transparency and demanding accountability.
Congress workers staged demonstrations across several states, including Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Manipur, against the functioning of the Election Commission and its handling of the SIR exercise.
In Assam, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee held a protest rally from Rajiv Bhawan in Guwahati demanding the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and an impartial review of decisions taken and alterations made to electoral rolls. The party said APCC president and Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and several other leaders and workers were detained during the protest.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had also accused the government of unleashing a “brutal crackdown” on protests, alleging that Congress leaders, workers, young citizens, students and social activists were detained across the country.
The BJP has rejected the Opposition’s allegations, calling them attempts to divert attention from electoral defeats.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has maintained that internal technical notes, written queries and suggestions are part of the normal functioning of a multi-member constitutional body. The ECI has asserted that all final decisions related to the SIR exercise were taken unanimously and carried the approval of all three commissioners.
The issue is expected to come up during the Congress Working Committee meeting scheduled for September 29 in New Delhi. (ANI)
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