Bhubaneswar, October 11 (Daily Kiran) : Leaders from the Congress-led INDIA bloc staged a protest in Bhubaneswar on Sunday, condemning alleged police excesses during an opposition demonstration in Delhi on October 10. They called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, citing irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list.
Senior Congress leader Santosh Singh Saluja accused Delhi police of mistreating female protesters, labeling the incident as unacceptable in a democratic society. He raised concerns about the Election Commission‘s handling of the SIR process and Form 6 applications, claiming that around 130 million voters have been removed from the voter list nationwide over the past six months. Saluja emphasized the need for electoral transparency and protection of citizens’ voting rights.
The protest began at Master Canteen Square and proceeded to Lower PMG, where participants held demonstrations and a rally. Speakers at the event accused the central government of creating a war-like atmosphere, alleging that Delhi had been transformed into a military camp to suppress the October 10 protests. They claimed that police had surrounded political party offices, erected barricades on the streets, and arrested individuals traveling to the capital by train, metro, or air.
Additionally, they alleged that the police employed batons and tear gas, resulting in the detention of over 7,000 individuals, including students, members of civil organizations, and political leaders. Speakers further claimed that the SIR process had been misused in Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal since Kumar’s appointment as Chief Election Commissioner.
The INDIA bloc leaders demanded Kumar’s resignation, the restoration of names removed from the voter list during the SIR, and the reinstatement of a predetermined selection process for election commissioners involving the Prime Minister, the opposition leader, and the Chief Justice of India. They also called for the reintroduction of paper ballots instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs). The leaders vowed to continue their nationwide movement until their four demands are met and announced a massive rally in Delhi on October 12.
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