United stand: On protests against SIR

The gathering of hundreds of thousands of people at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, organised by the Congress-led INDIA bloc parties, was a milestone in the battle for the restoration of the integrity of India’s election process. As more and more skeletons tumble out the of the closet of the Election Commission of India (ECI), its chief Gyanesh Kumar has chosen silence while the ruling BJP has rushed to shield him from criticism. The united outcry of protest by the Opposition, led by the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, is a strong signal of public opinion for the ruling party and India’s institutions, including the ECI, that appear complicit in a scheme that threatens the foundations of Indian democracy. What remains unexplained by the ECI and Mr. Kumar are malpractices in the Special Intensive Revision that could have the effect of subverting the popular will.