Mumbai Congress leaders protest in Dadar, demand CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s removal amid EC row

Congress leaders on Tuesday protested in Mumbai`s Dadar. Pic/X (@VarshaEGaikwad)

Mumbai Congress leaders and party workers on Tuesday held a protest in Dadar area, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad demanded the removal and arrest of Kumar, alleging irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission and calling for action over alleged "vote theft", reported the PTI.

Gaikwad was speaking at a ‘Satyagraha' organised by the citizens' group ‘Aamhi Mumbaikar' at Chaityabhoomi in Dadar.

Hundreds of people attended the protest, where participants also collectively read the Preamble to the Constitution.

Congress leaders attend protest

Former Maharashtra Minister and MLA Aslam Shaikh, MLAs Amin Patel, Jyoti Gaikwad and Bhai Jagtap, along with social activist Tushar Gandhi, were among those present at the protest.

Several party workers also joined the protest.

The Election Commission has been facing criticism from Opposition parties over the recent news report, while the poll body has maintained that its decisions are based on the applicable electoral procedures

According to the PTI, Gaikwad said that the protest against what she described as "vote theft" and the functioning of the Election Commission would continue until the protesters' demands were met.

Gaikwad alleges bias

Gaikwad alleged that the Election Commission, despite being an autonomous constitutional body, had in recent years become a "puppet" of the BJP.

She further alleged that voters belonging to certain communities and those perceived to support opposition parties were being removed from electoral rolls. She also alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was being used as a "weapon".

"The Election Commission has a duty to ensure free, fair and transparent elections. If it starts working in a manner that benefits the ruling party, elections will have no meaning," she said, the news agency reported.

Reference to Rahul Gandhi's allegations

Gaikwad also referred to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's criticism of the Election Commission, saying he had highlighted what she described as the poll body's "chaotic functioning", according to the PTI.

She further alleged that CEC Gyanesh Kumar had acted in a biased manner.

The allegations were made during the protest and represent the Congress's position on the functioning of the Election Commission.

(with PTI inputs)