Chandigarh, Oct 24 Haryana Congress in-charge Sanjay Dutt and the party’s state president Rao Narendra Singh on Saturday said here that the demand for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)Gyanesh Kumar would be prominently raised at the INDIA bloc’s rally to be held on November 1 in Delhi.
They said that the integrity of electoral rolls, transparency in the electoral process, and the protection of every eligible citizen’s right to vote are fundamental issues concerning the country’s democracy.
The Congress will not compromise on these matters under any circumstances, they said.
Dutt and Singh said that the Congress’ nationwide ‘Vote Bachao Desh Bachao’ campaign is now moving towards a decisive phase.
Organisational preparations have been intensified across Haryana to take the campaign to every district, block, village, and polling booth.
Party workers have been directed to document “discrepancies in electoral rolls”, raise public awareness about the rights of eligible voters, and ensure big participation from Haryana in the November 1 rally, they said.
The INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally at the Ramlila Maidan has been described as the culmination of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march against alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Congress has asserted that at least 10 lakh people are expected to march against “vote chori”, saying this will send a strong message of “unity for protecting democracy and the Constitution”.
Raising questions about the role of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Dutt said that ensuring transparency and impartiality in the electoral process is a constitutional responsibility of the Election Commission.
He said that concerns regarding the possible deletion of eligible citizens’ names and discrepancies that have come to light during the SIR of electoral rolls must be taken seriously.
Dutt and Singh said that the Congress believes the questions being raised about the alleged impartiality of the electoral process cannot be adequately resolved as long as Kumar remains in office. Therefore, his removal is necessary.
They further said that if an investigation establishes that he is responsible for undermining the democratic system or violating the law, appropriate legal action, including arrest, should follow.
Dutt said the ‘Vote Bachao Desh Bachao’ rally in New Delhi is part of a major national movement to protect the voting rights of citizens, strengthen democracy and ensure accountability on the part of the BJP government.
“The right to vote is the foundation of democracy. Protecting every citizen’s vote is equivalent to safeguarding the Constitution and the people’s mandate,” he said.
“Our fight is not for any individual or political party alone, but to protect the constitutional right of every citizen to elect their government through free and fair elections,” he added.
On Friday, Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal chaired a meeting of Haryana Congress leaders and office-bearers at Indira Bhavan, New Delhi. Preparations for the rally were reviewed during the meeting, Dutt said.
(PTI News)
