INDIA Bloc MPs To Protest Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar Again; Security Tightened

INDIA bloc MPs are set to hold another protest on Thursday against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, a day after Delhi Police stopped several Opposition lawmakers from organising a large demonstration near Jantar Mantar.

The lawmakers, travelling in three buses, were stopped near Janpath on Wednesday as police moved to prevent them from reaching the protest site. The move disrupted traffic and activity across parts of central New Delhi.

The protests are linked to Opposition criticism of the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Opposition Protest To Continue In Delhi

Nearly 300 Opposition MPs marched from Parliament towards Akashvani Bhavan on Wednesday, raising slogans against the CEC and demanding his resignation. Several MPs and party supporters were detained during the demonstration.

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal and a few other Congress leaders, however, managed to enter the Akashvani Bhavan campus and continue their protest.

Several Opposition parties also attended a lunch hosted by Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.

The Samajwadi Party, which has 37 MPs in the Lok Sabha, did not attend the lunch, reportedly citing a lack of communication from the Congress. However, the party is expected to participate in Thursday’s INDIA bloc protest.

CJP To Protest In Bengaluru

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is also scheduled to hold a protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Actor Prakash Raj and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee are expected to participate in the demonstration, according to the organisers.

The Bengaluru protest is also focused on Opposition allegations concerning the Election Commission’s handling of the SIR exercise.

CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s Z+ Security Upgraded

Amid the continuing protests, the Union government has strengthened CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s existing Z+ security cover.

Additional personnel have reportedly been deployed outside his residence, at the Election Commission office and as part of his personal security, according to officials familiar with the matter.

A senior police officer said the security assessment was revised after protesters traced Kumar’s residence. Security was also increased following a protest outside his family’s house in Agra.

“The protesters managed to trace his house. There was another protest outside his family’s house in Agra. We had to assess all the threats and increase the security cover. We had also placed a few pickets near his house,” the officer said.

Why Is CEC Gyanesh Kumar Facing Opposition Protests?

The Opposition protests come amid criticism of the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

The controversy intensified following reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on at least 14 occasions over a period of 10 months regarding certain decisions and orders. Some of the objections reportedly related to decisions that they said had been issued without their knowledge.

The Election Commission, however, has rejected any suggestion of a split within the poll panel and maintained that the three-member commission took all decisions, including those related to the SIR exercise, unanimously.

The protests are expected to continue as the Opposition steps up its campaign against the poll panel and demands greater accountability over the electoral-roll revision process.