Congress protests against CEC Gyanesh Kumar spread across states, IYC marches to Jantar Mantar

ANICongress workers staged protests across India against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar for his handling of electoral roll revisions.Congress workers staged protests across several states against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, demanding his resignation and raising objections to the Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.In the national capital, the Indian Youth Congress marched from Raisina Road to Jantar Mantar on Friday, where protesters raised slogans against Kumar and demanded greater accountability and transparency in the electoral process. Police detained several protesters during the demonstration.Also Read: "Resign and face action": Oppn escalates attack on CEC over EC dissent report; BJP calls it "false allegations"The Delhi protest was part of a wider Congress campaign against the Election Commission, with demonstrations also reported in Telangana, Bihar, Assam, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and other parts of the country. In several places, police used water cannons or detained protesters as demonstrations were held outside Election Commission offices and at other locations.In Hyderabad, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Mahesh Kumar Goud, along with other party leaders, led a march from the Indira Gandhi statue towards the Election Commission office.In Hyderabad, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Mahesh Kumar Goud, along with other party leaders, led a march from the Indira Gandhi statue towards the Election Commission office.Congress MP Kiran Kumar Chamala said the party would submit a complaint seeking Kumar's resignation and prosecution.“Today, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee decided to do the protest and we will be walking from Indira Gandhi statue up to the Election Commission in Telangana. We want to file a complaint regarding Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and prosecution,” Chamala said.He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had influenced the CEC to delete voters' names to ensure that they remained in power.“This clearly shows that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have influenced the CEC to delete the votes to make sure that they continue in power for 50 years,” he alleged.Also Read: Election Commission-SIR controversy: Allegations and poll panel's responsesChamala also demanded that the 2025 voter list be revoked and 13 crore voters reinstated.In Patna, Left parties also held a protest against Kumar, while Congress workers demonstrated in Srinagar and Lucknow. The protests are part of a broader opposition campaign over the SIR exercise and the functioning of the poll panel.At the Delhi protest, IYC president Uday Bhanu Chib led the march from the party's office on Raisina Road towards Jantar Mantar. The protesters wore masks bearing Kumar's face and carried posters and banners demanding accountability from the Election Commission.“We are protesting because the Election Commission is responsible for protecting the sanctity of every vote. When questions are being raised within the Commission itself over decisions concerning electoral rolls, the country deserves answers and accountability,” Chib said.The IYC has also launched an online petition demanding Kumar's removal, following a report by *The Indian Express* on objections reportedly raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over decisions relating to electoral rolls.The petition, titled “Gyanesh, It's Done Bro”, calls for Kumar's arrest and prosecution, an investigation into alleged irregularities in the electoral process and public disclosure of electoral records and internal objections raised within the poll panel.Chib said the campaign was intended to take the issue of electoral transparency beyond the Congress's political campaign and into wider public discourse.“Young people cannot remain silent when there are questions over the electoral process. We demand that the CEC take responsibility and resign, and that the objections raised within the Commission be made public,” he said.The Election Commission has maintained that divergent views can arise during institutional deliberations and that decisions of the poll panel are taken collectively.The nationwide protests come as the dispute over SIR and the functioning of the Election Commission continues to intensify, with Congress state units stepping up demonstrations and seeking Kumar's removal.(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onCongress protests CEC Gyanesh KumarIndian Youth Congress march Jantar MantarElection Commission protestresignation of Gyanesh KumarElectoral rolls revisionAccountability transparency electoral processCongress campaign Election Commission (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onCongress protests CEC Gyanesh KumarIndian Youth Congress march Jantar MantarElection Commission protestresignation of Gyanesh KumarElectoral rolls revisionAccountability transparency electoral processCongress campaign Election Commission