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HP Congress protests in Shimla, seeks removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar
Addressing the media persons, All India Congress Committee (AICC) Himachal in-charge Rajani Patil called the CEC a “traitor” while demanding his resignation
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Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) took to the streets on Friday raising slogans demanding resignation of chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar while alleging irregularities in the electoral process and protesting against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters list.
Party leaders and workers raised slogans outside the election department office in Kasumpti. During the protest, Congress members smeared the signboard outside the office of the chief electoral officer at Kasumpti in Shimla and wrote “Chor Aayog” on it. The protestors also had a scuffle with the police.
Addressing the media persons, All India Congress Committee (AICC) Himachal in-charge Rajani Patil called the CEC a “traitor” while demanding his resignation.
Patil referred to Haryana, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Bihar, claiming that complaints had been raised regarding electoral processes in these states as well. “If he was not removed, the Congress would continue its agitation and seek action against him, including through legal and political means,” said Patil.
“This is the fight that Rahul Gandhi is fighting, and we will take this fight to the common people. Congress would continue its campaign against ‘arbitrary functioning’ and would mobilise public support on the issue,” she said.
When asked about the possibility of impeachment proceedings against Gyanesh Kumar, Patil said that the government had enacted a law granting full protection to the EC, effectively placing the commission beyond the scope of impeachment proceedings.
Register FIR against CEC: Vinay
HPCC president Vinay Kumar sought registration of an FIR against the CEC and alleged that action should be taken against him under law. “He should be removed immediately and an FIR should be registered against him. He should be behind bars,” he said.
Re-elections must in states with allegations of irregularities: Dy CM
During the protest, Himachal deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri said that the allegations regarding the theft of votes have now been exposed. He called for re-elections in the states where allegations of irregularities in voter lists surfaced during the polls.
Defacing EC office raises serious questions: BJP
BJP Himachal Pradesh chief spokesperson and MLA Rakesh Jamwal criticised the Congress protest outside the election department office in Shimla over the SIR of electoral rolls and the functioning of the EC.
“Political parties have every democratic right to protest peacefully, but defacement of the election department premises with slogans such as “Vote Chor” raises serious questions about the manner in which the protest was conducted.
Jamwal said, “Congress is the ruling party in Himachal. It must explain what message it seeks to convey when its workers allegedly deface the premises of the state election department. Political disagreement cannot become a justification for violating rules or damaging public property.”
He said the state administration should ascertain the facts surrounding the incident and, if any law or rule governing public property was violated, take action strictly in accordance with law, irrespective of the political affiliation of those involved.
Congress cannot place itself above law: Dharamshala MLA
BJP leader and Dharamshala MLA Sudhir Sharma, raising questions over the conduct of Congress workers during their protest, said the right to peaceful protest cannot be used as a shield for violence, intimidation or damage to public property.
Sharma alleged that during the protest, Congress workers pushed and manhandled police personnel, misbehaved with them and damaged a government vehicle. He demanded that these allegations be independently investigated and that an FIR be registered wherever the evidence discloses a cognisable offence.
