INDIA bloc meets over SIR row, discusses joint agitation and fresh notice to remove CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Top leaders of the INDIA bloc met in New Delhi on Wednesday to discuss a joint action plan over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision SIR of electoral rolls with a fresh notice seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar also on the agendaThe meeting brought together Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi AICC general secretaries Jairam Ramesh and K C Venugopal Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and leaders of several other opposition partiesLeaders from the Samajwadi Party CPI CPIM NCPSP Shiv Sena UBT Rashtriya Janata Dal Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party and other parties attended the meetingCongress says Opposition united over SIRIn a post on X Ramesh said The INDIA janbandhan meeting just got underway The parties participating are the Congress Samajwadi Party All India Trinamool Congress NCPSP Shiv Sena UBT Rashtriya Janata Dal CPIM CPI Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party Jharkhand Mukti Morcha CPIML IUML Kerala Congress M Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi RevolutionarySocialist Party Kerala Congress Jacob and All India Forward BlocThese and other Opposition parties stand united to protect the Constitution of India from repeated assaults of the Modi Government most recently its Vote Chori gameplan through the ECI to remain in power Ramesh said on XThe Congress has alleged that the SIR process could result in the wrongful exclusion of eligible voters The Election Commission however has maintained that its decisions relating to the exercise were taken unanimously and in accordance with the lawFresh notice for CEC removal discussedSources said a draft notice for a fresh attempt to move a motion in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha seeking the removal of Kumar was ready and would be discussed at the meetingThe proposed move comes amid opposition criticism of the Election Commission over the SIR process and reported differences among its three membersThe Indian Express had reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over a 10month period to decisions and orders related to the SIR and other electoral mattersThe reported objections covered issues including changes to voter registration procedures access to electoral databases and aspects of the voterroll revision processThe Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that the reported differences affected the validity of its decisions It has said differing views and observations are part of institutional deliberations and that its orders carry legal sanction The poll panel has also maintained that decisions relating to the SIR were taken unanimouslyCongress plans wider agitationThe meeting is also expected to finalise the INDIA blocs programme for joint protests over the SIR and related concerns about the functioning of the Election CommissionSpeaking to reporters on Tuesday Venugopal had said The Congress wants to hold a massive agitation to save democracy in the country with the help of all political parties There will be valuable suggestions from leaders of the INDIA bloc tomorrow after that we will sit and formalise the clear action plan for the future agitationWe will coordinate between the INDIA bloc agitation programme and that of the Congress he had told reportersThe opposition alliance has been seeking a coordinated response to the SIR issue with the Congress and other parties raising concerns about the deletion or noninclusion of names from electoral rollsSome Opposition parties stay awayThe meeting was not attended by all parties that have previously been associated with the INDIA blocThe Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Aam Aadmi Party skipped the meeting while Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav did not attend because of nominations for Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar PradeshThe AAP has separately indicated that it would support an impeachment motion against Kumar if such a proposal is brought before Parliament while saying it is not part of the INDIA allianceSIR controversy intensifiesThe latest meeting comes amid heightened political debate over the Election Commissions handling of the nationwide SIR exerciseThe reported objections by Sandhu and Joshi have become a key point of contention between the Opposition and the poll panel Opposition parties have used the issue to demand greater scrutiny of the Commissions decisionmaking process and have questioned Kumars roleThe Election Commission has maintained that internal discussions can involve differing views but that final decisions were taken collectivelyThe previous INDIA bloc meeting was held on June 8 At that meeting opposition parties had decided to seek the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEETCBSE issue and to approach the Chief Justice of India over the SIR exercise and their concerns regarding electoral processesWith inputs from PTI