Haryana Congress holds protest against CEC, demands removal

The protest was led by Haryana Congress president Rao Narender Singh and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda. State Congress in-charge Sanjay Dutt was also present

The Haryana Congress on Friday staged a protest at the Sector 9/17 dividing road, demanding the removal and arrest of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The state Congress also sought an independent review of all election related decisions taken and changes made in voter lists during his tenure.

Congress workers started their protest from Sector 9 but were thwarted by water cannons and subsequently detained. (HT)

The protest was led by Haryana Congress president Rao Narender Singh and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda. State Congress in-charge Sanjay Dutt was also present.

Congress workers started their protest from Sector 9 but were thwarted by water cannons and subsequently detained. They raised slogans against the chief election commissioner and demanded transparency and accountability in the functioning of the election commission.

A party statement said that serious questions have been raised regarding the functioning of the election commission and the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The party demands that the objections recorded within the election commission and decisions related to the addition and deletion of names from voter lists be made public, and that the entire matter be subjected to an impartial and independent review. Reports have also recently emerged indicating that two election commissioners within the commission, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, raised objections on several occasions.

Leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said questions being raised regarding the electoral process should be addressed in a transparent manner and that the rights of voters must be fully protected.