Police block retired officials from serving notice to Chief Election Commissioner

What Happened

Delhi Police and thousands of security personnel blocked a 15-member delegation of retired senior government officials from handing over a symbolic impeachment notice to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The group accused the Election Commission of denying the right to vote guaranteed by the constitution. Before the event, the group had written a letter stating they would not hold protests and asked permission for just two people to meet the Chief Election Commissioner and hand over the notice. Security forces including ITBP, BSF, and RAF blocked roads around the Election Commission headquarters, leading the delegation to drop their plan of handing over the chargesheet directly.

Reactions

Former Home Secretary G.K. Pillai told the media that after serving in various central government posts and retiring, the Election Commission is asking him to prove he is an Indian citizen, even though he was born and raised in India and had to show his SSLC book copy to write the UPSC exam. Yogendra Yadav criticized the central government for deploying five thousand security personnel to stop 15 people in a city where many incidents raise concerns about women's safety. He added that the police blocked all roads and troubled citizens even after being informed that only two people were seeking permission to meet the Chief Election Commissioner without any protest march.

Context

Security arrangements of this scale are typically deployed during major political demonstrations, high-profile visits, or intense civil unrest to maintain public order in the national capital. The Election Commission of India functions as the constitutional authority responsible for conducting free and fair elections across the country.