Mumbai, Delhi see protests against Election Commission, SIR; opposition leaders demand CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s removal
Massive protests erupted in Mumbai and Delhi against the Election Commission and the SIR exercise, with leaders demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar's removal.
Massive demonstrations erupted across India's major metros on Friday, as activists and opposition leaders took to the streets in Mumbai and Delhi to voice intense opposition against the Election Commission and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The protests, marked by heavy police presence and detentions, saw high-profile demands for the immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Chaos in Mumbai and Delhi
In Mumbai, activists from the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and various civil society organizations gathered at Shivaji Park to protest alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise. The scale of the mobilization prompted a heavy deployment of police forces to manage the crowds at the iconic park.
Simultaneously, the capital witnessed significant unrest near Jantar Mantar. Members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), alongside leaders from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the CPI(M), staged demonstrations despite the Delhi Police denying permission for the rally. Authorities had imposed prohibitory restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, leading to heightened security across central Delhi.
Opposition leaders demand CEC's removal
The protests were fueled by sharp allegations against the top election official. CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby, who joined the student mobilization, accused CEC Gyanesh Kumar of violating the rules governing the functioning of the Election Commission.
"Gyanesh Kumar should be arrested for the criminal activity of cutting people’s votes," Baby stated, adding that the youth movement would continue until the CEC is removed from office.
Echoing these sentiments, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat called for an immediate halt to the SIR exercise and urged for a legislative overhaul. "The main question is to make the CEC resign and remove him. He won’t resign; he needs to be removed. The SIR must be stopped immediately, and the Election Commission must be fixed by changing the 2023 law," Karat said.
Detentions and Counter-claims
The tension in Delhi escalated when AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj was detained by the police while attempting to join the protest at Jantar Mantar. Bharadwaj alleged that police personnel mishandled women protesters and claimed he himself was scratched by officers during the detention process.
In Mumbai, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das launched a scathing attack on the CEC, labeling him a "traitor" and an "anti-national." Das appealed to citizens across the country to support the movement, suggesting that the momentum seen in previous protests would continue against the current administration's handling of electoral processes.
Responding to the unrest, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed the allegations leveled against the Election Commission. He asserted that the claims were part of a "fake narrative" that had already been debunked by the three Election Commissioners during a previous press conference. "The entire matter has been exposed... They will not succeed in this," Fadnavis added.