Agencies | New Delhi:
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday stepped up his attack on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, calling him a “puppet of the Modi government” and demanding his immediate removal from office amid the ongoing row over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Addressing the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in New Delhi, Kharge also demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi resign on moral grounds, alleging that he had “pressured” the CEC. “The Chief Election Commissioner has become a puppet of the Modi government. Even his own colleagues don’t trust the Chief Election Commissioner,” Kharge said.
Kharge referred to reported objections raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over decisions relating to SIR and other electoral matters. The Indian Express had reported that the two commissioners raised objections on several occasions over 10 months. The Election Commission, however, has maintained that differing views and observations are a normal part of institutional deliberations and that its final decisions have legal sanction.
What Are Kharge’s 5 Demands?
1. Full disclosure of voter-list changes: Kharge demanded that all data relating to major changes in electoral rolls be made public.
2. Appeal for deleted voters: He demanded that people whose names have been deleted from voter lists be given complete information and an opportunity to appeal.
Kharge alleged that names were being removed from voter lists as part of a “conspiracy” and claimed that officials were deleting names at the behest of the BJP and the Modi government. He said this was contrary to the basic principle of democracy that every eligible citizen should have their vote protected and every vote should be counted fairly.
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Citing BR Ambedkar’s remarks on voting rights, Kharge said the right to vote was among the most fundamental elements of democracy and argued that no eligible citizen should be arbitrarily excluded from electoral rolls.
Kharge Targets Form 6 Changes, Raises Youth Voter Issue
The Congress chief also targeted changes relating to Form 6, which is used for enrolling new voters.
Kharge compared the move with the Rajiv Gandhi government’s decision in 1988 to reduce the voting age from 21 to 18. He alleged that the Modi government was now seeking to make it harder for young people to exercise their voting rights. “They did not provide jobs, now they don’t want voting rights,” Kharge said, arguing that young voters would question the government and hold it accountable.
He alleged that the changes were “completely illegal” and could affect the voting rights of young people.
Kharge accused the Election Commission of moving away from its role as a guardian of voters’ rights. “The protector has become the predator,” he said, arguing that an institution entrusted with protecting the vote had instead become a “looter of votes”.
He also questioned how the public could trust the CEC if, according to his allegation, his own colleagues had raised objections to his decisions.
Kharge also praised Rahul Gandhi for raising questions over electoral rolls in Mahadevapura, Aland and constituencies in Haryana and Maharashtra.
He referred to allegations concerning duplicate voters, doubtful addresses, multiple voters registered at one address and entries linked to Form 6. Kharge said that had the Election Commission taken these concerns seriously, “it would not be in the dock today” and its credibility could have been protected.
He also congratulated Congress workers who participated in protests at the block, district and state levels following Rahul Gandhi’s call.
Kharge said the Congress’ fight was not against any particular political party, institution or individual, but for voters’ rights, the Constitution and the democratic system.
He said the Congress wanted the Election Commission to remain strong, independent and credible so that both the ruling party and the Opposition could trust its decisions. “Is it wrong to ask who took the SIR decision?” Kharge asked, while also questioning why the two Election Commissioners were allegedly excluded from the Internal Portal and whether anything was being kept secret.
The Congress chief said elections and governments would come and go, but democracy and the Constitution were permanent.
Kharge also compared the current electoral controversy with demonetisation, referring to the alleged attempt to curb voting rights as “vote-bandi”.
He said that just as demonetisation had forced people, particularly the poor, to stand in queues, the alleged “vote-bandi” would push poor and deprived voters out of the electoral process.
According to Kharge, the vote was the biggest weapon available to the poor, Dalits and other deprived sections, and the Congress would not allow that right to be taken away. He said the party would continue its campaign “from the streets to Parliament” to protect voters’ rights.
Kharge urged the CWC to adopt a resolution seeking transparent electoral rolls, a fair poll process, independent institutions and protection of every eligible citizen’s vote. He said the Congress would continue to raise the issue ahead of the upcoming state elections and work to ensure that no eligible voter is deprived of their rights.
The remarks come amid an escalating political row over the functioning of the Election Commission and the SIR exercise. The EC has rejected allegations that its decisions were aimed at benefiting the ruling party and has maintained that differences during institutional deliberations do not amount to dissent over final decisions.
