As part of the Congress-led nationwide “Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao” campaign, INDIA bloc parties staged strong protests across Haryana on Thursday, alleging irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls and demanding the resignation of chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Former Haryana chief minister and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Bhupinder Singh Hooda led a protest in Ambala and said that the agitation by the entire INDIA bloc will continue until the CEC resigns. “The longer he (CEC) delays stepping down, the more the movement by the Congress will intensify across the state,” Hooda said.
The LoP was joined by party state in-charge Sanjay Dutt, state president Rao Narender Singh, local MLA Nirmal Singh and district president Pawan Aggarwal.
The protesters, alleging “vote theft”, raised slogans outside Ambala deputy commissioner’s (DC) office and submitted a memorandum addressed to the President. Their key demands were the resignation of the CEC and the conduct of elections using ballot papers.
Addressing protesters, Hooda said that the Congress party’s fight against “vote theft” and the Election Commission’s (EC) irregularities is set to intensify. “There is nationwide outrage over the ‘high-handedness and dictatorial attitude displayed by the BJP in Delhi against our leader’, Rahul Gandhi. If the government believes it can intimidate Rahul or Congress workers through FIRs and brutal police action, it is mistaken. Every Congress member will fight this battle with all their might and emerge victorious,” he said.
State party in-charge Sanjay Dutt said, “The EC announced a voter turnout of 61.19% for Haryana on the night of October 5, 2024. Yet, the very next day, this figure was raised to 65.65%, and on the 7th, just a day before the vote count, it was further increased to 67.9%. It is simply incomprehensible how the vote count could rise so significantly on its own after the EVMs had been sealed.”
{{/usCountry}}State party in-charge Sanjay Dutt said, “The EC announced a voter turnout of 61.19% for Haryana on the night of October 5, 2024. Yet, the very next day, this figure was raised to 65.65%, and on the 7th, just a day before the vote count, it was further increased to 67.9%. It is simply incomprehensible how the vote count could rise so significantly on its own after the EVMs had been sealed.”
{{/usCountry}}In Karnal, the protests were held under the leadership of district urban president Parag Gaba and district rural president Rajesh Vaid, in the presence of former Assandh MLA Shamsher Singh Gogi. On the culmination of the march at Dr BR Ambedkar Chowk, the protestors staged a brief sit-in, before they were forcibly removed by the police. Gaba said he along with Vaid and at least 20 other workers were detained at civil lines police station, only to be released after an hour.
In Rohtak, former Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president Udai Bhan led the demonstration. Bhan alleged that the EC was being used as a “tool” by the BJP to undermine the people’s mandate.
In Jind, Congress workers marched from Rani Talab to the district secretariat. Former minister and Congress leader Geeta Bhukkal alleged that the arrest of Rahul Gandhi during protests amounted to an attack on democracy. She alleged that the EC was functioning under the influence of the ruling BJP and demanded Kumar’s removal.
In Fatehabad, Congress and Left parties’ workers and farmers’ organisations participated in a demonstration at Lal Batti Chowk. The protesters alleged that names of genuine voters had been deleted from electoral rolls and demanded Kumar’s resignation.
In Sirsa, former minister Birender Singh led a procession from the Congress Bhawan to Ambedkar Chowk. Singh alleged that genuine voters had been removed from electoral rolls and said the Opposition had a responsibility to raise the issue of voting rights.