“Gyanesh, it’s done, bro. Time to resign”: Rahul Gandhi attacks CEC
Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA bloc march to the Election Commission, demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over voter deletion allegations.
In a high-voltage political confrontation in the national capital, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. As members of the INDIA bloc commenced a massive protest march toward the Election Commission of India (ECI), Gandhi issued a direct challenge to the poll chief on social media, stating, “Gyanesh, it’s done, bro. Time to resign.”
The protest, which saw a sea of opposition supporters taking to the streets, was fueled by intense allegations of democratic erosion and irregularities in the electoral process. Protesters raised slogans demanding the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
Massive March Towards Election Commission
The march saw significant participation from top leadership of the opposition coalition. Prominent figures including Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi and NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule joined the procession. The marchers eventually transitioned into a sit-in protest near the NITI Aayog office to intensify their demonstration.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge voiced strong concerns during the march, accusing the current administration of systematically dismantling the rights of Indian citizens. He alleged that the Election Commission is no longer an independent body but is functioning under the direct influence of the central government.
“We are fighting against the injustice of the fact that the government is stripping away everything—all the rights of the people,” Kharge stated. He further emphasized that the universal adult franchise, a cornerstone of Indian democracy since Independence, is being actively undermined.
Allegations of Mass Voter Deletion
The core of the opposition's grievance lies in the alleged manipulation of voter rolls. Speaking to the media, Congress MP Dharamveer Gandhi leveled a heavy accusation against the poll panel and the government, calling the situation the "biggest fraud in Indian political history."
- Voter Erasure: Dharamveer Gandhi alleged that approximately 13 crore votes have been deleted from the rolls.
- Democratic Deprivation: He claimed these deletions have deprived millions of their fundamental right to participate in the democratic process.
- Institutional Cooperation: The MP accused the current government of executing this move with the active cooperation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
Demands for Inquiry and Restoration
The INDIA bloc has laid out a clear set of demands to address what they term as the "hijacking" of constitutional bodies. While the BJP has countered by accusing the opposition of attempting to compromise these very institutions, the opposition leaders remain undeterred.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain articulated the bloc's primary objectives, which include:
- The immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
- The complete scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
- The immediate restoration of all voters who were removed or deleted under the SIR protocol back onto the official voter lists.
- A high-level inquiry into alleged political interference within the election machinery.
The opposition continues to argue that investigating agencies, the media, and key institutions have been turned into "pocket organisations" for the ruling party, a claim that has set the stage for further political turbulence in the country.