'Gyanesh Kumar cannot stay in office': Congress slams CEC
Jairam Ramesh and Karti Chidambaram allege constitutional violations by CEC Gyanesh Kumar during INDIA bloc protest.
In a high-voltage political confrontation, the Congress party and the INDIA bloc launched a massive protest on Tuesday, demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The opposition leaders accused the CEC of violating the Constitution and misleading both the Supreme Court and the Indian public.
'He has lied to the country': Jairam Ramesh
Speaking during the protest march, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh leveled scathing allegations against the constitutional functionary. He claimed that the Chief Election Commissioner has failed to uphold the integrity of his office.
"This whole campaign is to highlight the fact that a constitutional functionary, the Chief Election Commissioner, has violated the Constitution in letter and spirit," Ramesh stated. He further intensified his attack, alleging, "He has lied to the Supreme Court. He has lied to the country. Clearly, he cannot stay in office any longer..."
Allegations of Unilateral Decision-Making
The protest also saw sharp criticism from Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, who raised concerns regarding the internal functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI). Chidambaram suggested that the CEC has been bypassing the collective decision-making process required for a constitutional body.
According to Chidambaram, the commission's decisions should ideally be reached through unanimity or a majority vote. However, he alleged that the CEC has been acting unilaterally, specifically pointing toward controversial changes in election procedures:
- Changes to Form 6: Questioning the necessity and process behind recent modifications.
- Misuse of Form 7: Alleging that the form is being manipulated.
"Let the election commission come clean. Let them place the files before the Supreme Court to say how they took this decision," Chidambaram challenged. He emphasized that voting is a fundamental right and not a "favor or gift" granted by the commission.
Clashes and Sit-in Protest at Nirvachan Sadan
The atmosphere turned tense as Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi joined other opposition MPs in a march from Parliament towards Nirvachan Sadan, the headquarters of the Election Commission. The march was intended to demand the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar.
The protest reached a standoff when security personnel blocked the opposition leaders from entering the ECI office complex. Following the blockade, the INDIA bloc MPs staged a sit-in protest directly in front of the Election Commission offices to voice their grievances.
Chidambaram noted that this movement is part of a larger wave of dissent, involving civil society, various political parties, and even public discourse involving members of the judiciary, all aimed at protecting the democratic process.