E-Paper
‘Gyanesh Gaddar’: Youth Congress defaces CEC's Agra home during protest
Congress' Maharashtra unit also staged a protest on Monday across the state over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Prefer HTon Google
Congress workers held a nationwide protest on Monday demanding resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, which included defacing the main gate of the CEC's home in Uttar Pradesh's Agra with a spray paint.
Some Congress workers arrived at Kumar's residence in Agra's Vijay Nagar on Monday morning, raised slogans, and put up stickers and pamphlets outside the house. Then, they used a black spray paint and wrote “Gyanesh Gaddar” and “Vote Chor” on the main gate and walls of the residence, videos and pictures of which are being widely circulated on social media.
Sharing clips of the protest, the Indian Youth Congress, the youth wing of the party, wrote on X, “In Agra, Congress workers smeared black ink on the house of “Gyanesh Gaddar”.”
Deep Dive
“The way Modi and Shah, in collusion with Gyanesh, have looted various elections across the country over the past several years is nothing short of outright treason against the nation,” IYC added.
“We will ensure Gyanesh gets his punishment," it added.
Gyanesh Kumar has not yet reacted to the incident.
Congress has been staging protest and demanding the resignation of the CEC amid an escalating political row over the functioning of the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
On Friday too, Congress' Uttar Pradesh unit staged a protest. "Election Commission has failed in its constitutional responsibility of conducting free, fair and transparent elections,” said Ajai Rai, Uttar Pradesh Congress president said on Friday.
Also read: 'Just stay out of it bro': Parvesh Verma replies to Rahul Gandhi's remarks on slapgate
Congress Uttar Pradesh in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam said, “The crime has been proven. They have committed treason against the country when the Constitution had given them a responsibility to conduct free, fair, and transparent elections.”
Congress' Maharashtra unit also staged a protest on Monday across the state over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Also read: SC asks Election Commission to resolve TMC factions’ symbol row within 3 months
In Pune, the district Congress unit staged a protest outside the collectorate and later submitted a memorandum to Deputy Collector Jyoti Kadam.
Monday's protest came amid an intensifying confrontation between the Congress and the Election Commission over the functioning of the poll panel, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
These protests by Congress come after an investigative Indian Express report claimed Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on several occasions over decisions and actions within the poll panel, including those related to electoral-roll revisions and the SIR.
The ECI has maintained that differences of view and written observations are part of its internal deliberations. It has also said decisions on the SIR were taken unanimously.
