'Can they put us behind bars?': Opposition slams CEC ahead of protest
INDIA bloc MPs launch scathing attack on CEC Gyanesh Kumar over voter deletion allegations and mass disenfranchisement.
Members of the INDIA bloc have launched a fierce verbal assault against the Election Commission of India, accusing Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and his administration of undermining democracy through mass voter disenfranchisement and misleading the public.
The confrontation comes as opposition MPs gathered in Parliament to prepare for a significant march toward the Election Commission headquarters, signaling a major escalation in the political standoff over electoral integrity.
Allegations of 'Blatant Lying' and Moral Failure
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader John Brittas delivered a scathing critique of the election machinery, asserting that top officials have lost the moral authority required to hold their positions. The controversy stems from recent judicial observations regarding the deletion of voter names from electoral rolls.
Brittas specifically targeted CEC Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the administration of providing misleading information regarding procedural changes to Form 6 and the mass disenfranchisement of citizens under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
"After it has been made amply clear by the Supreme Court that Gyanesh Kumar and Co. have lied to the nation... they don't even have the iota of moral authority to continue in their office," Brittas stated. He warned that if the current leadership refuses to step down, the nation could witness widespread unrest. "Can they put all of us behind bars? Do all the jails in India have the facility to accommodate those people who are agitating?" he challenged.
Accusations of Executive Influence and 'Fascism'
The Congress party joined the fray, with MP Hibi Eden accusing the poll panel of operating under the heavy influence of the executive branch. Eden suggested that the current state of the commission represents a new form of fascism, undermining the very foundation of a free and fair democratic process.
Eden claimed that the CEC has become a "puppet of the government and the ruling party," specifically naming the Prime Minister and the Home Minister. He expressed deep concern over recent SIR activities, alleging that voters are being excluded based on religion and caste, and vowed that Congress would continue massive protests across every state to defend democracy.
'The Biggest Fraud in Indian Political History'
The scale of the alleged electoral manipulation was highlighted by Congress MP Dharamveer Gandhi, who described the recent revisions to electoral rolls as an unprecedented assault on democratic structures.
Gandhi made a staggering claim regarding the volume of disenfranchised citizens, stating that "13 crore votes have been deleted, depriving people of their democratic right to cast their votes."
He further characterized the situation as "the biggest fraud in Indian political history," alleging a conspiracy between the present government and Gyanesh Kumar to hijack the democratic process. Gandhi accused the BJP of capturing key democratic institutions, including the Election Commission, the ED, and the CBI, effectively murdering the spirit of the republic.