1 hr ago
Jharkhand Congress Protesters Clash With Police Over CEC Resignation
Congress and Youth Congress members held a protest outside the chief electoral officer’s office in Ranchi.
They wanted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign.
They said his actions had harmed people’s voting rights and democracy.
Police stopped the protesters from getting past barricades, and the two sides scuffled.
The protesters also blackened the office’s name board.
BJP leader Amar Kumar Bauri said the opposition was misleading people about the election process.
The protest followed a report about election commissioners objecting to some decisions.
The parties disagree about how the election process and the CEC’s work should be judged.
Congress and Youth Congress activists scuffled with police while trying to cross barricades outside the chief electoral officer’s office in Ranchi.
The protesters demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and accused him of harming voting rights and democracy.
After failing to enter the premises, the demonstrators blackened the Election Commission’s official name board.
The protest followed a report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected at least 14 times to decisions they said were issued without their knowledge.
BJP leader Amar Kumar Bauri accused opposition parties of misleading the public; he also said the Supreme Court had dismissed the opposition’s plea seeking the CEC’s dismissal.
- Who
- Jharkhand Congress and Youth Congress activists; BJP leader Amar Kumar Bauri also commented.
- What
- Congress-led protesters demonstrated, scuffled with police at barricades, and demanded CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
- Where
- Outside the chief electoral officer’s office in Dhurwa, Ranchi, Jharkhand.
- When
- Tuesday, October 6; the report does not specify a year.
- Why
- The protesters said the CEC had harmed voting rights and democracy; BJP’s Amar Kumar Bauri said opposition parties were misleading the public about the SIR.
Congress and protest leaders
BJP response
Gyanesh Kumar’s conduct
Congress and protest leaders
Congress leaders said allegations against the CEC and concerns about his working style warranted his resignation.
BJP response
BJP leader Amar Kumar Bauri said opposition parties were misleading people about institutions and issues.
Election process and SIR
Congress and protest leaders
Congress leaders said the SIR had harmed voting rights and that the electoral system could not be transparent until the CEC resigned.
BJP response
Bauri alleged the opposition was creating confusion among citizens over the SIR and said that if elections were unfair, Congress-led governments in Karnataka and Telangana should quit.
Key facts
- Protest location
- Chief electoral officer’s office, Dhurwa, Ranchi
- Protest organizers
- Jharkhand Congress and its youth wing
- Main demand
- Resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar
- Reported incident
- Protesters scuffled with police while trying to cross barricades
- Name board
- Agitators blackened the commission’s official name board after failing to enter the premises
- Reported objections
- An Indian Express report said Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions they said were issued without their knowledge
- BJP response
- Amar Kumar Bauri accused opposition parties of misleading people and said the Supreme Court had dismissed the opposition’s plea seeking the CEC’s dismissal
Quotes
Subodh Kant Sahay
Former Union minister who spoke at the protest
“People across the country are looking for Gyanesh Kumar, asking where the traitor has fled. This is happening because he worked to snatch the voting rights of citizens of this country. The CEC has murdered democracy through SIR.”
theprint.in
“People of the country have prepared a chargesheet against the CEC. Allegations against the CEC are enough for a person holding a constitutional post to resign.”
theprint.in
Sources
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