The Daily PulsePolitics
Youth Congress holds nationwide protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner's resignation
Reported by Aakash Bora (Staff Writer) · ThePrint - Politics ·
Reported by one source so far
Representative image · Wikimedia CommonsIndian Youth Congress members marched from Raisina Road to Jantar Market in New Delhi on Friday, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstrations form part of a broader nationwide protest by the Congress party against the Election Commission and its handling of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
State Protests And Clashes
Police used water cannons in Patna, Bihar, and Chandigarh, Punjab, to disperse protesting party workers, with some demonstrators climbing onto police vans in Punjab. Similar protests occurred across several other states, including Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Manipur. In Shimla, protesters blackened the official board outside the State Election Commission office. In Dehradun, Uttarakhand leaders led a march toward the state Secretariat election office, while Manipur workers marched to the Chief Electoral Office in Lamphelpat, where police fired tear gas shells after scuffles broke out. In Jammu, police were heavily deployed outside the election office, and Congress MLAs in Srinagar carried resignation-demanding banners inside the Legislative Assembly.
Leadership Statements And Background
Indian Youth Congress President Uday Bhanu Chib strongly criticized the CEC during the New Delhi march, accusing him of undermining democracy. The protests were triggered by an Indian Express report stating that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised objections 14 times over 10 months regarding electoral roll decisions. The Election Commission rejected claims of institutional dissent, stating that final decisions on the revision were unanimous. The Congress party suggested that opposition groups might move an impeachment motion against Kumar in Parliament, with the matter slated for discussion at the September 29 Congress Working Committee meeting in New Delhi.
ExplainerWhy this matters
What Happened
Congress workers held nationwide protests and marched in New Delhi demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, following media reports of internal disagreements within the Election Commission over electoral roll revisions.
Why It Matters
The dispute touches on the core independence and functioning of India's top election body, raising questions about internal dissent among election commissioners and drawing major political parties into a direct conflict over how voter lists are managed and revised.
What Happens Next
The issue is set for discussion at the upcoming Congress Working Committee meeting on September 29, and opposition parties are considering whether to introduce an impeachment motion against the Chief Election Commissioner in Parliament.
