New Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar is facing mounting pressure as protests against the Election Commission of India intensify across the country, forcing the poll panel to postpone several programmes he was scheduled to attend.
The agitation has continued to gather momentum despite the poll panel taking corrective measures on some of the issues raised by protesters. The two-day protest by INDIA bloc MPs in Delhi, led by Rahul Gandhi, has found echoes across the country. The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has announced an indefinite protest at Jantar Mantar from October 10, while several student organisations have also been staging protests in the capital for days.
The participation of these groups alongside the CJP could give the agitation a wider base, making it harder for the Centre to contain. As the SIR affects lakhs of voters in Delhi, the protesters are also likely to find support among sections of the city's electorate.
The Aam Aadmi Party and the DMK, though not part of the INDIA bloc's protest, have also been holding separate agitations against the SIR, adding to the political pressure on the Centre.
The issue has also moved to the court, with several petitions concerning the Election Commission pending before the Supreme Court. They include allegations over changes made to Form 6, the appointment of election commissioners and claims that Gyanesh Kumar has been taking unilateral decisions.
Scrutiny of the CEC has also intensified following former Supreme Court judge Justice Abhay S Oka's indirect criticism of a verdict delivered by Justice Satish Chandra Sharma in cases involving Gyanesh Kumar and his daughter Medha Roopam.
Adding to the questions surrounding the poll panel is the silence of its media wing, which had maintained regular contact with journalists but has remained largely inaccessible for the past two weeks. Gyanesh Kumar also did not respond to queries seeking his reaction to the reported Vigilance inquiry into the suicide of Malaysian national Lee Chee Bin during his tenure as Kerala's public works secretary.
For More News Updates Follow Us On www.tconews.in
