Congress workers protested outside CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s Agra residence and spray-painted slogans including “Gyanesh Gaddar” and “Vote Chor” on the property.
The protest was part of Congress’ nationwide campaign seeking Kumar’s resignation over its allegations concerning SIR and the Election Commission’s functioning.
The demonstrations follow reports of recorded objections by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over aspects of electoral-roll revisions and SIR.
Congress workers protesting against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday spray-painted slogans including “Gyanesh Gaddar” and “Vote Chor” on the main gate and walls of his residence in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. The protest was part of the Congress’ nationwide campaign demanding Kumar’s resignation amid its escalating confrontation with the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Congress workers gathered outside Kumar’s residence in Vijay Nagar in the morning, raised slogans and put up stickers and pamphlets before spray-painting the slogans on the property. Videos and photographs of the incident were subsequently circulated on social media.
The Indian Youth Congress shared footage of the protest on X and alleged that Congress workers had smeared black ink on the CEC’s residence. The youth wing also accused Kumar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of being involved in alleged irregularities in elections and said it would seek Kumar’s “punishment”. These are political allegations by the Congress and have not been established as facts.
Congress Escalates Protest Over SIR, ECI Functioning
Congress has been demanding Kumar’s resignation over what it alleges are irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission and the SIR exercise.
The party had directed its state units to hold protests at State Election Commission offices on September 25 and district-level demonstrations on September 28. Congress has accused the poll panel of compromising its constitutional responsibility to conduct free and fair elections.
The Uttar Pradesh Congress had also held a protest on Friday. Party leaders alleged that the Election Commission had failed in its constitutional responsibilities and called for action against Kumar.
The Maharashtra Congress held similar protests across the state on Monday over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise. In Pune, the district unit demonstrated outside the collectorate and later submitted a memorandum to Deputy Collector Jyoti Kadam.
Row Follows Reported Dissent Within Election Commission
The protests have intensified after an Indian Express investigation reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally recorded objections at least 14 times over 10 months regarding decisions and orders related to electoral-roll revisions and other poll-panel matters. The report said the objections included concerns over voter additions and deletions, access to electoral-roll databases and aspects of the SIR process.
The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion of a breakdown in decision-making, saying differences of view and written observations are part of internal deliberations. ECI officials have maintained that decisions on the SIR and other matters were approved unanimously by all three commissioners.
The Agra incident has added a more confrontational element to the political dispute, with the protest moving from demands for Kumar’s resignation to a demonstration outside his residence and defacement of the property. Police were reported to be looking into the incident and identifying those involved.
