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Anti-CEC protests LIVE: Marches called across Delhi, Bengaluru, other cities; suspense over Dipke's participation
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: The ‘People Against SIR’ group will hold nationwide marches today, with demonstrations scheduled to take place in the afternoon in New Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Jaipur and several other regions across the country.
- 8 Mins agoAnti-CEC protests LIVE: RSS leader questions CJP funding source
- 15 Mins agoINDIA bloc plans next round of protests
- 44 Mins agoSuspense over Dipke's participation in protest march
- 1 Hr 26 Mins agoCJP leaders scheduled to appear before SEM court today
- 1 Hr 41 Mins agoMarch to begin from Bangla Sahib Gurdwara
- 1 Hr 53 Mins ago‘Democracy means respecting mandate’: Uttarakhand CM slams Cong
- 9:45 AM IST, Oct 23Any impeachment motion against CEC will follow due process: Om Birla
- 9:32 AM IST, Oct 23CJP's Ranka, Das likely to get fresh summons today
- 9:16 AM IST, Oct 23Kharge demands removal of CEC, repeal of immunity law
- 9:13 AM IST, Oct 23Farmers' body to join protest today
- 9:09 AM IST, Oct 23What is People Against SIR, the group organising the march?
- 8:36 AM IST, Oct 23‘Har gali mein Jantar Mantar’ march today
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders have been invited to join a march on Friday, organised by People Against SIR – a week-old alliance of students, farmers and civil society groups — from Bangla Sahib Gurdwara in Delhi's Connaught Place to the Election Commission’s office near Patel Chowk. The march has been called to "restore democracy", demand the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and press for the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls....Read More
The demonstrations are scheduled for the afternoon in New Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Jaipur, and several other regions across the country.
Among the prominent figures invited to join the march include CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, actor Prakash Raj, student leaders Neha Bora and Aishe Ghosh, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait and activist Tushar Gandhi.
‘Har Gali mein Jantar Mantar’
"The People's March to Reclaim Democracy will not request police permission anywhere," the platform had said in a statement on October 18.
It also warned the police, paramilitary personnel and prison authorities against using force on peaceful protesters.
The platform has planned a “No SIR” campaign under the slogan “Har Gali Jantar Mantar, Har Gaon Jantar Mantar, Mera Ghar Jantar Mantar”.
The People Against SIR group was formed on October 14 at Surjeet Bhavan in New Delhi by groups representing farmers, workers, women, students, Adivasis, Dalits and minorities.
The platform has alleged that the SIR exercise is illegal and demanded that the voter lists be reset to their pre-2024 version and updated through social audits as laid down in the Election Commission Manual and CAG guidelines.
CJP's Ranka, Das likely to get fresh summons today
Cockroach Janta Party co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka will be issued fresh notice to join the police probe in the two cases against them after they failed to appear earlier, officials aware of the matter told HT.
A senior police officer said that the Delhi Police crime branch had issued a notice to Das, Ranka, and CJP member Ajinkya Shinde to join the probe on Thursday.
Why CEC Gyanesh Kumar is under fire
CEC Kumar is at the centre of a controversy involving the Election Commission following an investigative report by The Indian Express that claimed Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months regarding decisions and procedures linked to the SIR exercise.
The Election Commission has rejected these allegations, saying that major decisions, including the SIR of electoral rolls, had been taken unanimously by the full commission.
RTI reveals Cabinet Secretariat sent election commissioners’ letters to CEC
The Cabinet Secretariat forwarded the letters written to the Cabinet Secretary by election commissioners Sukhbir Sandhu and Vivek Joshi about the alleged misconduct of senior deputy election commissioner (DEC) Maneesh Garg to the office of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, in addition to sending them to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), according to information obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) application.
A document released in response to the application shows that on August 3, the secretariat proposed seeking CEC Kumar's opinion on the letters.
Another, on August 4, noted that the letters from the commissioners were in their individual capacity and not a formal communication from the Election Commission of India.
The only response to the two commissioners was an acknowledgement that their letters had been received. The acknowledgements dated August 5 were copied to the secretary, department of personnel and training (DoPT), the establishment officer in DoPT, and the principal private secretary to the chief election commissioner.
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: RSS leader questions CJP funding source
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: RSS national executive member Indresh Kumar on Thursday questioned the funding behind the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) campaigns and alleged that a small number of youths had been led astray by 'anarchic' elements.
"These protests aren't just continuing; rather, the participants keep abandoning old issues to latch onto new ones. So, let’s focus on the core question: are they trying to bring about a situation in India similar to what we see in Bangladesh—a regime characterised by anarchy, the oppression of minorities, the massacre of those who follow the path of Sufism, and the displacement of decent, ordinary people? This is the most significant and pressing issue of the moment. I ask everyone: where do these young people, and others involved—get the funding for all this? It is becoming increasingly obvious to the world, which is why you can see that the turnout at these protests is dwindling; participation is clearly on the decline," he said, according to ANI.
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: INDIA bloc plans next round of protests
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: The INDIA bloc’s next round of protests against CEC Gyanesh Kumar may begin in early November, following the upcoming rally at the Ramlila Ground on November 1.
The Opposition leaders have started discussing ideas for another round of protests after the series of marches in central Delhi in the second week of October.
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: Suspense over Dipke's participation in protest march
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has been invited to join a protest march, organised by the ‘People Against SIR’ group, against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
However, there has been no official confirmation yet as to whether he will join the march.
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: CJP leaders scheduled to appear before SEM court today
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: Cockroach Janta Party co-convenors Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das are scheduled to appear before the SEM court on Friday, as the Crime Branch continues its investigation into the case.
The Crime Branch had summoned them for questioning on Thursday, but they did not appear.
Although no fresh notice has been issued by the Crime Branch for Friday, the three have been asked to appear for questioning anytime between 10 am and 4 pm.
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: March to begin from Bangla Sahib Gurdwara
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: The march, organised by People Against SIR, a week-old alliance of students, farmers and civil society groups, is scheduled to take place from Bangla Sahib Gurdwara in Delhi's Connaught Place to the Election Commission’s office near Patel Chowk.
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: ‘Democracy means respecting mandate’, Uttarakhand CM slams Congress on protests
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday said that the BJP will run a nationwide campaign titled "Save democracy, remove anarchy", describing the situation in the country over the last few days as "very dangerous for democracy".
Launching a sharp attack against the Congress over its protests and criticisms amid the row over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Dhami said democracy means "respecting the people's mandate, not blaming institutions for defeat."
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: Any fresh impeachment motion against CEC will follow due process, says Om Birla
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday said any fresh impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar would be examined in accordance with the laid-down procedures.
“We will follow the process when the motion is moved. Just as there is a procedure for the impeachment of judges, there is a process laid down for the CEC too… It will be followed if the opposition moves a motion,” Birla said at a press conference ahead of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, which India is hosting.
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: CJP's Ranka, Das likely to get fresh summons today
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: Cockroach Janta Party co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka will be issued a fresh notice to join the police probe in the two cases against them after they failed to appear earlier, officials aware of the matter told HT.
A senior police officer said that the Delhi Police crime branch had issued a notice to Das, Ranka, and CJP member Ajinkya Shinde to join the probe on Thursday. Read more here.
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: Kharge demands removal of CEC, repeal of immunity law
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge as demanded the scrapping of the 2023 law granting immunity to election commissioners, accusing the Centre of undermining the poll body's independence and seeking the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he asked, "Are you above the Constitution?" and alleged that the government was shielding election commissioners from accountability.
"Repeal the law you brought in to grant them immunity," he said, referring to the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, which provides protection against civil and criminal proceedings for acts done or words spoken by election commissioners in the discharge of their official duties, subject to the provisions of the Act.
(Inputs from PTI)
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: Farmers' body to join protest today
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the People Against SIR platform have called for protests across the country on Friday against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
The protests will be held at district and tehsil headquarters, state capitals and in Delhi, where People Against SIR has called for a march to the Election Commission's office, according to the organisers.
The SKM, which had spearheaded the 2020-21 agitation against three central farm laws, said its member organisations would submit a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu through district magistrates and sub-divisional magistrates, demanding the scrapping of the SIR exercise and the restoration of voting rights to 13.41 crore citizens allegedly deleted from electoral rolls.
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: What is People Against SIR, the group organising the march?
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: The People Against SIR group was formed on October 14 at Surjeet Bhavan in New Delhi by groups representing farmers, workers, women, students, Adivasis, Dalits and minorities.
The platform has alleged that the SIR exercise is illegal and demanded the voter lists be reset to their pre-2024 version and updated through social audits as laid down in the Election Commission Manual and CAG guidelines.
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: ‘Har gali mein Jantar Mantar’ march today
Anti-CEC protests LIVE: A march is scheduled today, organised by People Against SIR, a week-old alliance of students, farmers and civil society groups in the national capital from Bangla Sahib Gurdwara in Connaught Place to the Election Commission’s office near Patel Chowk, to "restore democracy", demand the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and press for the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Among the prominent figures invited include Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, actor Prakash Raj, student leaders Neha Bora and Aishe Ghosh, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait and activist Tushar Gandhi.
