Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 6: INDIA bloc MPs are set to march from Parliament to the Election Commission headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.
The march comes a day after the Supreme Court clarified that it had not approved any modified version of Form 6, the statutory application used for enrolment of voters. The court said it would examine the Election Commission's records to determine who authorised the changes.
The MPs are gathering at Makar Dwar and are expected to march towards Nirvachan Sadan, the Election Commission headquarters, at 11 am. Heavy security deployment and barricading have been put in place around Parliament and the Election Commission office ahead of the protest.
Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav are among the opposition leaders expected to participate.
The opposition has intensified its demand for Kumar's resignation following the Supreme Court's observations on Form 6. Rahul Gandhi has alleged that the CEC changed the form "illegally and unilaterally". The Election Commission, however, has rejected the allegation as misleading and maintained that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) order in Bihar was unanimously approved by the Commission and subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court.
The controversy centres on an additional declaration attached to the online version of Form 6 during the SIR exercise. The Election Commission had said in a September 26 statement that the declaration attached to Form 6 for SIR had been upheld by the Supreme Court. The court's clarification on Monday said it had not approved any modified Form 6 and indicated that it would examine the official record to determine who made the changes.
CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar said the Supreme Court's observations had strengthened the opposition's objections to the additional declaration. He alleged that the Election Commission's September 26 statement had been misleading and said opposition parties would intensify their campaign.
Congress MP Imran Masood accused Kumar of eroding public confidence in the Election Commission and alleged that the poll panel was no longer being viewed as an impartial institution.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut questioned the heavy security deployment ahead of the march and said opposition MPs intended to proceed peacefully. He also alleged that security had been strengthened around ministers' residences and claimed that BSF and CISF personnel had been deployed.
Raut further alleged that the CEC had misled the public about the Supreme Court's position on Form 6 and said Kumar should resign.
The opposition's march is part of a wider campaign against the SIR exercise and alleged irregularities in electoral rolls. The ECI has rejected suggestions of divisions within the three-member Commission and maintained that decisions relating to the SIR were taken unanimously.
The Supreme Court has not, however, passed any interim order suspending or restraining Kumar from functioning as CEC. It has issued notices in the proceedings and sought the relevant records and responses from the Election Commission.