Congress CWC demands Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, suspension of SIR

NEW DELHI, Sept 29: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Tuesday demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and restoration of what the party claims are 13 crore 30 lakh names removed from voter lists.
The resolutions were adopted at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in New Delhi amid an escalating political dispute over the Election Commission’s handling of electoral rolls. The Congress alleged that the election process was being compromised and accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of failing to act independently.
The CWC said the developments had reinforced Rahul Gandhi’s earlier allegations of “Vote Chori”, citing concerns over the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, EVMs, changes to electoral rolls and the process for appointing the CEC.
The party also raised questions over the functioning of the three-member Election Commission, alleging that important decisions were being taken without adequate consultation with the other two Election Commissioners.
The concerns followed an Indian Express report which said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections at least 14 times over 10 months on decisions and procedures linked to SIR. The report referred to objections concerning voter additions and deletions, changes to Form 6 and the handling of voter data.
The Congress said the concentration of control over electoral rolls during the nationwide SIR raised questions about the transparency and credibility of the exercise.
The party also questioned the constitutional basis of the process, arguing that shifting the burden on citizens to establish their eligibility to vote, without what it considers adequate safeguards, could conflict with constitutional guarantees under Articles 14 and 326.
“An exercise of doubtful constitutional validity cannot be allowed to decide who may vote in the world's largest democracy,” the CWC resolution said. The CWC demanded the immediate resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, saying he had “forfeited all moral and institutional authority”.
It also called for the suspension of SIR and the restoration of “the 13 crore 30 lakh names removed from the electoral rolls”.
“This brazen Vote Chori has been organised by the CEC on behalf of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister. Nothing short of their resignation will ensure the safety of our constitution and hard-earned democracy,” the resolution alleged. �"Z NEWS