The Congress on September 25 criticised the Centre over police action during nationwide protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused the government of detaining party workers, students, young citizens and civil society activists during demonstrations.
Ramesh also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were “terrified” by growing public anger over the functioning of the Election Commission. These are political allegations made by the Congress and have not been established as facts.
Congress Protests Across Several States
The Congress organised demonstrations in several parts of the country on Friday. Party workers attempted to march towards state election commission offices and demanded action against Gyanesh Kumar.
The protests focused on the Election Commission’s handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Congress leaders demanded Kumar’s removal and arrest. They also called for an independent review of decisions and changes made to voter lists during his tenure.
However, police stopped protesters at several locations. In some places, authorities used barricades and water cannons. Several Congress leaders and workers were detained during the demonstrations.
Jairam Ramesh Accuses Centre of Crackdown
Jairam Ramesh strongly criticised the government’s handling of the protests.
In a social media post, he said citizens and Congress workers had taken to the streets to demand accountability from the Election Commission. He alleged that the government responded by detaining protesters in different parts of the country.
Ramesh further accused the Modi government of being concerned about growing public frustration over the functioning of the poll panel. He also described Modi and Shah as a “desperate PM-HM duo”.
Protests Linked to SIR Controversy
The demonstrations came amid an escalating dispute over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision exercise.
The controversy intensified after a report in The Indian Express said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on several occasions regarding SIR-related decisions and procedures.
According to the report cited by multiple news organisations, the two commissioners had recorded objections at least 14 times over a 10-month period. The reported concerns included voter registration, deletion and restoration of names and access to electoral-roll databases.
Congress Demands Action Against Gyanesh Kumar
During Friday’s protests, Congress leaders demanded the immediate removal and arrest of Gyanesh Kumar.
The party also called for an independent review of decisions taken by the Election Commission during Kumar’s tenure. In addition, protesters demanded a review of changes made to electoral rolls under the SIR process.
Congress leaders have linked these demands to concerns about transparency and accountability in the electoral process. The party has also said it intends to continue its campaign over the issue.
Election Commission Gives Its Response
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has rejected the portrayal of the reported objections as evidence of a breakdown within the institution.
The poll panel has said that operational queries, internal feedback and administrative suggestions are part of the normal functioning of a multi-member constitutional body. It has also maintained that final decisions on the SIR exercise were taken unanimously.
Therefore, the current dispute involves competing claims about the nature of the disagreements within the Commission. The reported objections and the Commission’s explanation remain central to the ongoing political debate.
BJP Defends the Chief Election Commissioner
The BJP has rejected Congress’s allegations and defended Gyanesh Kumar.
BJP MP Manoj Tigga accused the Congress of targeting the Election Commission and the electoral process. He argued that the opposition was using the issue to create political controversy.
The BJP’s response comes as Congress protests have expanded across several states. Thus, the two sides have presented sharply different accounts of the dispute and the protests.
Protests Continue Amid Political Dispute
The protests have taken place in Delhi, Patna, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Assam, Jammu and several other locations. Police action varied from place to place, with reports of detentions and the use of water cannons at some demonstrations.
At the same time, the dispute has moved beyond the streets and into a broader debate over the Election Commission’s internal decision-making and electoral-roll procedures.
For now, Congress continues to demand action against Gyanesh Kumar, while the BJP has defended the Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commission has maintained that its final decisions were unanimous.