Leaders and workers of the INDIA bloc, mainly from the Congress, National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), staged a joint protest at the Congress headquarters on MA Road in Srinagar on Saturday, in a sharp escalation of the national “Vote Chori” campaign. They demanded the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
“Remove CEC Gyanesh Kumar or countrywide agitation over crores of deleted votes will continue,” the INDIA bloc announced. Security forces said the barricades were needed to maintain law and order. Congress leader Dr Waleed Kara said, “The SIR process has raised fundamental questions about democratic fairness, the right to vote of genuine electors, and the need for accountability of those overseeing the revisions. Terming it an unprecedented assault on electoral fairness, the opposition has labelled the move “vote theft”.
Congress, NC and PDP leaders and cadres gathered at the J&K Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters. They attempted a street march but were stopped at the gates by security forces. Slogans against the CEC, the BJP-led Centre and alleged electoral manipulation filled the air. Opposition leaders, however, described the barricading as an attempt to suppress democracy. He added: “Until the CEC does not step down and an independent enquiry is ordered as the names in this unconstitutional act is coming of PM Modi and Home minister Amit Shah, till then we will keep agitation. The joint presence of the Congress, NC and PDP in Jammu and Kashmir highlighted the opposition’s concerted effort to exert pressure. The core message of the alliance was that protests would continue nationwide until Gyanesh Kumar is removed and a thorough investigation is ordered into those responsible for the deletion of millions of voters’ names. Opposition leaders have repeatedly alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process was weaponised. They claim it enjoyed political patronage from the highest levels of the central government, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
