Protests Demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar's Resignation Intensify; Security Tightened At Delhi ECI Office

Protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar were held in several parts of the country on Friday, with posters targeting the poll chief appearing at Delhi's ITO and Congress-led demonstrations taking place in multiple states over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Posters put up in ITO carried the message, "gyanesh kumar hatao, chunav aayog bachao", as the Delhi Congress prepared to stage a protest outside the Election Commission of India (ECI) office. Police personnel were deployed outside the office ahead of the demonstration.

Protests also erupted in Kolkata on Friday as demonstrations against CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the SIR exercise spread to more parts of the country. The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) also planned a protest march from 5, Raisina Road to Jantar Mantar, demanding Kumar's resignation.

The demonstrations come amid an intensifying political row over the functioning of the Election Commission and the SIR exercise. An Indian Express report on Thursday said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders related to the SIR process.

The issue also triggered a protest inside the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Friday, with Congress MLAs raising slogans against Kumar and demanding his resignation and arrest. As House proceedings began, Congress MLAs Nizamuddin Bhat, Irfan Hafiz Lone and Iftikhar Ahmad displayed banners carrying messages including "Protect the vote, protect the democracy" and "No democracy without fair elections".

Bhat urged Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to allow the Congress members to be heard. The Speaker, however, asked them to return to their seats. When the MLAs continued their protest and attempted to enter the well of the House, Rather warned them of action.

The protesting members also demanded Kumar's resignation and arrest. The Speaker told them that the Election Commission of India "is not in our control". The Congress MLAs later returned to their seats and Question Hour continued.

The Madhya Pradesh Youth Congress staged a demonstration in Bhopal on Thursday, demanding Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission and the SIR exercise. Protesters gathered outside the office of the Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer and raised slogans against the CEC.

They also carried posters that read "arrest Gyanesh Kumar for treason" and "Vote-Chori magic trick exposed". Bhopal district Youth Congress president Ankit Dubey alleged that no proper inquiry was conducted despite objections by two Election Commissioners regarding the deletion of voters' names and access to the voter database.

In Punjab, Pradesh Congress Committee president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring demanded Kumar's dismissal, an FIR against him and his alleged collaborators, and their arrest. Warring said the Punjab Congress leadership had held a Zoom meeting with MLA Sachin Pilot to discuss the issue and announced a march to the Election Commission office in Sector 17, Chandigarh, under Pilot's leadership.

"The march will begin at 11 AM on September 25 from near the RBI Office, Sector 17, Chandigarh, and proceed towards the ECI office," he said. Warring also said the party would continue to seek accountability over the issue, asserting that the sanctity of the vote and the Constitution could not be compromised.

The Indian Youth Congress on Thursday launched a nationwide online citizens' petition titled "Gyanesh, It's Done Bro", seeking action against the CEC and urging citizens, particularly young people, to participate in a campaign focused on electoral transparency and accountability.