Congress steps up agitation for removal of Chief Election Commissioner
The Congress party and the INDIA bloc are staging protests across Telangana demanding the removal and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Protesters allege that the Election Commission is biased toward the ruling party and has improperly removed millions of eligible voters from electoral rolls.
Why it matters
The agitation highlights deep-seated tensions regarding the independence of India's electoral institutions and the integrity of the democratic process.
Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Tuesday warned that the Congress would not remain silent if eligible voters were denied their fundamental right to vote, even as Telangana Youth Congress cadres staged a protest outside the State Chief Electoral Officer’s office here demanding the removal and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Speaking to the media at Sriramulapalli in Koheda mandal of Siddipet district, Mr. Prabhakar alleged that votes of poor and eligible people in rural areas were being removed in the name of revision of electoral rolls. He accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) failing to function independently and alleged that it was acting under the influence of the Centre.
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