Congress Stage Protests in Across Karnataka Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Bengaluru: Congress workers staged protests in several parts of Karnataka on Monday demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar alleging misuse of the EC in the ongoing revision of electoral rolls.

In Mangaluru, the Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee organised a foot march from Mahaveer Circle in Pumpwell to the Deputy Commissioner's office at Padil, followed by a protest meeting.

The protesters raised slogans against the Centre and the Election Commission and demanded Kumar's immediate resignation and arrest.

District Congress president Padmaraj R Poojary, MLCs Ivan D'Souza and P V Mohan, and former MLA J R Lobo were among those who participated.

In Chitradurga, Congress workers staged a protest after garlanding the statue of B R Ambedkar, with district in-charge minister T Raghumurthy, former minister H Anjaneya and MLC D T Srinivas taking part.

Led by District Congress president M K Taj Peer, the protesters wore black bands and demanded Kumar's removal, alleging misuse of authority.

In Vijayapura, a rally led by the Industries Minister M B Patil was taken out from Ambedkar Circle to the Deputy Commissioner's office, where protesters burned an effigy of Kumar and submitted a memorandum addressed to the President through the Deputy Commissioner.

The protesters alleged that the Election Commission had become a "puppet" of the Central government and demanded Kumar's dismissal.

In Kalaburagi, the District Congress Committee organised a march from its office to the Deputy Commissioner's office, condemning what it called Kumar's unilateral decisions and demanding his arrest. Congress MLC Jagadev Guttedar participated in the protest.

In Mandya, Congress workers protested near the Vishweshwaraiah statue under the leadership of District Congress president Kumar Koppa. They raised slogans against the BJP and Kumar, burned effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kumar, and demanded an end to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Speaking to reporters in Vijayapura, Patil alleged that the BJP-led central government was misusing the Election Commission over the SIR exercise and said eligible voters were being deprived of their rights.

"We have no objection if duplicate entries (votes registered in two places) are deleted. But we will not allow even a single person to lose their right to vote," he said.

Patil alleged that objection applications had been filed against 1,372 voters in Babaleshwar constituency and claimed that seven or eight persons had submitted applications in bulk seeking deletion of voters' names before withdrawing them. He also claimed that 5,000 objections were filed in Vijayapura City constituency on September 22 and another 8,000 on September 23.

Patil said Kumar should be removed and the matter investigated by the Supreme Court, while calling for an "honest person" to be appointed as Chief Election Commissioner.

In Bengaluru, Congress state president B K Hariprasad also targeted Kumar and the Election Commission over electoral rolls, alleging that names of 50 lakh people had been removed in the city.

"The responsibility given to you is that, in every constituency, you must ensure, as a matter of utmost importance, that the name of no genuine voter is removed from the electoral roll," Hariprasad told Congress workers.

He alleged that minorities, Dalits and poor people were being left out of electoral rolls and claimed that Booth Level Officers were not visiting slums and certain minority and Dalit localities during verification.

Hariprasad also called upon Congress workers to continue protests against the Election Commission until Kumar leaves office, saying protecting the Constitution should be their "first responsibility" as party workers.