“Resign or face protests”: Congress ramps up fight against CEC
Congress leaders demand the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, alleging collusion between the BJP and Election Commission in Haryana elections.
The Congress party has launched a massive offensive against the Election Commission of India, demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Following a high-level Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Tuesday, top party leaders vowed to intensify agitations and take their fight directly to the streets, alleging deep-seated irregularities in recent electoral processes.
Allegations of BJP-EC Collusion
The primary driver behind this sudden escalation is the Congress's claim of a "proven bond" between the ruling BJP and the Election Commission. Party leaders have accused the commission of working in tandem with the BJP to manipulate democratic outcomes, specifically pointing toward the recent developments in Haryana.
Congress MP Deepender Hooda leveled serious charges, suggesting that the sanctity of the vote was compromised. He highlighted the razor-thin margin in the Haryana elections, where the gap between the BJP and Congress was approximately 14,000 votes in a state of nearly 3 crore people. Hooda alleged that a "massive game" of vote theft and procedural irregularities was orchestrated through collusion to defeat the public will.
“We will reveal their character”
The party's top brass has signaled that this will not be a mere parliamentary debate but a grassroots movement. Congress MP K. Sudhakaran emphasized that the party has taken a firm decision to fight against Gyanesh Kumar. "We will go in between the public and reveal their character and politics," Sudhakaran stated, indicating a plan to mobilize citizens against the current electoral leadership.
Adding to the momentum, MP Syed Naseer Hussain confirmed that the CWC discussions focused heavily on the SIR issue and the CEC. He reiterated that the party's demand for resignation remains unchanged and that they are prepared to agitate until their demands are met.
A Battle for Democratic Rights
The protest movement is being framed by the Congress as a struggle to protect the fundamental rights of Indian citizens. Senior leader Meira Kumar noted that the issue transcends party politics, affecting the very core of the nation's democracy. She argued that when the right to vote is effectively denied through irregularities, the responsibility lies with those in power.
"Anyone who is not performing their duties properly ought to resign," Kumar remarked, stressing that the party is fighting the "people's battle" to ensure their voices are heard.
The Context of Institutional Dissent
This political firestorm follows investigative reports suggesting internal friction within the Election Commission. Reports indicated that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over a 10-month period regarding decisions and procedures linked to the SIR exercise.
While the Congress uses these reports to argue that the commission is not functioning with integrity, the Election Commission has dismissed the claims. The commission maintains that all decisions related to the SIR were made with unanimous approval and has rejected the notion that these reported objections represent institutional dissent.