Protesters Demand Scrapping of SIR as Tensions Rise in Delhi
A massive protest march was held in central Delhi on Friday, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the complete scrapping of the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The march, organised by People Against SIR, a joint platform of students, farmers, workers and civil society groups, began at the historic Bangla Sahib Gurdwara in Connaught Place and headed towards the Election Commission headquarters near Patel Chowk. Leaders of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) were also invited to join the demonstration.
Calling for the “restoration of democracy”, protesters raised slogans such as, “Har Gali Jantar Mantar, Har Gaon Jantar Mantar, Mera Ghar Jantar Mantar.”
The People Against SIR platform was launched on October 14 at Surjit Bhawan in New Delhi, with representatives of farmers’, Dalit, tribal, women’s and minority organisations in attendance.
The platform has described the SIR process as illegal and demanded the immediate restoration of the electoral rolls in use before 2024. It has also called for the lists to be updated through a social audit in accordance with the rules of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and the Election Commission.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police Crime Branch issued fresh summons on Friday to CJP co-conveners Sourav Das and Ashutosh Ranka over an incident at Jantar Mantar on October 13.
Sourav, Ashutosh and another party member, Ajinkya Shinde, had sought additional time after failing to appear at the Crime Branch office in Rajouri Garden on Thursday.
A senior police official said they would be summoned again at the earliest as part of the investigation.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has faced criticism from opposition parties following a report published in The Indian Express. The report claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised strong objections at least 14 times over the past 10 months to decisions and procedures related to the SIR.
The Election Commission has rejected the allegations, maintaining that all major decisions, including those concerning the SIR, were taken unanimously by its officials.
Source: The Wire
