Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 5: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday listed three "non-negotiable" demands of the party amid the ongoing controversy over the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Kharge demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, cancellation of the SIR exercise and holding elections through ballot papers.
"Across the country, Congress workers and INDIA Bloc partners are on the streets over these three issues. Whichever Civil Society Members and Youth Organisations are struggling on these issues in various places across the country, we stand with them," Kharge said in a post on X.
Protests led by the INDIA bloc have been held in several states seeking Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in the SIR process. The Election Commission and the BJP have rejected allegations of wrongdoing.
Kharge also condemned the alleged harassment of female journalists during protests against the CEC in Delhi. "On the other hand, the BJP has harassed female journalists in Delhi, which is highly condemnable," he said, adding that the BJP was using "distraction tactics".
Three women journalists have lodged complaints alleging sexual harassment by Delhi Police personnel while they were covering the October 3 protest at Jantar Mantar. The complaints have been transferred to the Crime Branch for an impartial investigation.
The Delhi Police has said the Crime Branch will examine the allegations and take further action. The complaints relate to incidents that allegedly occurred when police personnel were deployed to maintain law and order during the protest.
Meanwhile, the Opposition in Maharashtra, led by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, organised the 'Virat Garjana Morcha' in Mumbai against the ECI.
The protest was also attended by Congress and NCP (SP) leaders, with participants demanding the resignation of Kumar, cancellation of the SIR exercise and a return to ballot paper-based elections.
The BJP and Shiv Sena criticised the Mumbai demonstration, describing it as an instance of double standards and a publicity stunt.