Jammu: Police detained Congress leaders and hundreds of party workers during a protest outside the election commission office here on Friday, demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the electoral process and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, organisers said.
The protesters raised slogans against the BJP-led government and the Election Commission and burned effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kumar.
The protesters raised slogans such as “Vote Chor-Gaddi Chhor”, “Gyanesh Kumar-Arrest Karo” and “Modi-Shah Resign Karo”. They carried placards demanding registration of an FIR against Kumar and his removal.
Police deployed a large contingent outside the election commission office to control the protesters. The organisers said several senior leaders, including AICC general secretaries, and hundreds of workers were taken into preventive custody and shifted to the district police lines in Jammu to be released later on.
Congress leaders, including AICC general secretaries Syed Naseer Hussain and GA Mir, were also detained.
The protest was part of the Congress’ nationwide demonstrations over its allegations of “vote chori” and followed a recent newspaper report that the party said supported its allegations about the electoral process.
Several senior Congress leaders, including former ministers, former legislators, and party functionaries from Jammu and Kashmir, participated in the protest led by AICC general secretary in charge of J&K affairs and MP Syed Naseer Hussain and AICC general secretary and CLP leader G A Mir.
Addressing the protesters, Hussain alleged that the Election Commission’s decisions had affected the electoral process and accused the CEC of favouring the BJP. He demanded Kumar’s removal and legal action against him. Hussain also announced that the Congress would hold district-level protests across Jammu and Kashmir on September 28 over the issue.
Mir alleged that the electoral process had been manipulated and said the Congress would continue its protests against what he described as election irregularities.
Former PCC president Vikar Rasool Wani, working president Raman Bhalla, former MP Ch Lal Singh and former minister Yogesh Sawhney also addressed the gathering and demanded action against the CEC.
Wani sought Kumar’s arrest, while Bhalla alleged that the Election Commission had acted at the behest of the ruling party. The protesters also demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
