New Delhi, Sept 28
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said that he has called a meeting of the party’s working committee on Tuesday where the issue of “internal differences” in the Election Commission would be discussed and a roadmap for CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s removal would be chalked out.
Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, Kharge said, “I have called a Working Committee meeting for tomorrow, where we will discuss the issue and all the Working Committee members will give their suggestions.”
Kharge said, “We are going to fight this seriously. This issue concerns the entire country, the existence of our democracy and the survival of our country. That is why we are very serious about this issue.”
He also said that election commission’s own people have exposed them.
“Even a former Chief Secretary of Kerala has said that CEC himself told him to contest the election. This means that he is propagating the BJP’s philosophy and has become a BJP worker. Gyanesh Kumar (Chief Election Commissioner) should resign. We have to take action against him, even after his resignation,” the Congress President said.
The CWC meeting, party’s highest decision making body will be chaired by Kharge.
The meeting is to be attended by former party chief Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh, KC Venugopal, among others. The party has also invited its four chief ministers besides the CWC member for the meeting.
Sources said the party’s highest decision-making body will strategise on ramping up pressure over its demand for CEC Kumar’s removal and cornering the government on the issue.
The poll panel had come under fire over the red flags raised by two of its commissioners over the SIR process.
The Commission has asserted that differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberations in any institution and all its orders carry full legal sanction and follow established statutory procedures.
The Election Commission on Saturday said that all SIR orders received unanimous consent from all three Commissioners and that the updates to Form 6 for voter enrolment were upheld by the Supreme Court, as it sought to address issues at the centre of a raging row over decision-making in the poll panel and concerns over exclusion of voters from the rolls.
The EC announced a number of measures under SIR including additional time for filing claims, home visit by election officials and help desks for those facing notices for removal from the rolls.
Even the opposition INDIA bloc meeting has been called on Wednesday to chalk out a joint strategy on the issue and is likely to file another notice for removal of CEC Kumar in Parliament.
The Congress on Monday also stated protest across several places in the country.
In Rajasthan’s Jaipur, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, state unit chief chief Govind Singh Dotasra and CLP Tika Ram Julli staged protest.
Speaking to the media over the EC row, Gehlot said, “The way the Election Commission has been functioning was flagged by Rahul Gandhi ji a year and a half ago. He had warned that SIR and vote theft would destroy democracy in the country. Initially, nobody paid attention, and these illegal activities continued within the Election Commission. It is only now that the truth has come to light.”
He pointed out that just think about it — two members of the Election Commission themselves raised written objections on 14 occasions, stating that they were neither receiving the meeting agendas nor the minutes.
“Perhaps no institution of this stature has ever faced such serious allegations. Gyanesh Kumar ji knew everything, yet he remained silent. Eventually, after becoming frustrated, both members had to write to the Cabinet Secretary. Their message was essentially: “Brother, we are exhausted and have raised our hands. Please do something.” The situation had reached this point, and these things were happening under such circumstances,” he said.
“The meeting held the day before yesterday was merely an exercise in face-saving and a formality. It was announced that agendas would now be circulated and that permission would be sought before anyone travelled abroad. However, even after the meeting, the perception that had existed earlier remains unchanged, the senior Congress leader said.
He also said that yesterday, they were unable to provide satisfactory explanations.
“Whether it was Sandhu ji or Joshi ji, their main objections were brushed aside. Who will be held accountable for the losses suffered in Bihar and Bengal as a result?” Gehlot said.
He said that in West Bengal, 29 lakh votes were deleted.
“When 87,000 votes were examined, 90 per cent of them were found to be valid. Lakhs of people were deprived of their right to vote. The judiciary took action only in May, by which time the elections had already concluded. When we lost the Haryana elections and then the Maharashtra elections, Rahul Gandhi ji had already warned that vote theft was taking place. He even made a presentation before the media, but people could not understand what he was trying to convey,” he said.
“I would like to say that this is not an ordinary battle. It is a battle to protect the sovereignty of the people’s vote in this country. This sentiment must reach every household so that people understand that this fight is being waged for them,” Gehlot added.
Gehlot also said that the Congress is taking this issue very seriously. KC Venugopal has instructed Congress office-bearers across the country to take this struggle to the grassroots level.
“If democracy itself is destroyed, what will happen to the country? Will RSS-BJP rule also be established here permanently, just as in China, Russia and North Korea? Look at what they have done in Bengal. They are both the ruling party and the opposition. The MLAs who defected from Mamata Banerjee’s party have themselves been made the Leader of the Opposition. Is this how the country is going to function? Gehlot said.
