New Delhi, Sep 29 (IANS): Congress National President, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Tuesday demanded the immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while accusing him of becoming a “puppet” of the Central government.
Kharge stated that CEC Kumar had “no right to remain in his position” and should be removed from office immediately.
This came during the Congress Working Committee meeting held to finalise its strategy on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Addressing the meeting, Kharge said the Congress had once again been entrusted with the responsibility of protecting democracy and the Constitution, while claiming that the right to vote was being undermined through changes to electoral rolls.
“Our meeting on August 19 focussed on the concerns of the youth. Today’s meeting is even more important. Just like during the British Raj, the Congress party once again bears the historic responsibility of protecting India’s democracy and Constitution. We wrested the right to vote from the British. Today, we have to fight again to protect that right,” Kharge said.
He alleged that the foundation of a strong democracy had been “conspiratorially undermined by the Modi government over the past 12 years”.
“People’s names are being removed from voter lists through conspiracy, and the Chief Election Commissioner has become a puppet of the Modi government,” he said.
Kharge further said that such actions were contrary to the principles of Indian democracy, which, according to him, require the protection of every eligible citizen’s right to vote and ensure that every vote is counted fairly.
Referring to the views of Dr B.R. Ambedkar and the role of voting rights in a democratic system, Kharge alleged that voter names were now being deleted arbitrarily at the behest of the BJP and the Modi government.
“Baba Saheb had said that names will not be deleted at the whim of any officer. Today, officers are arbitrarily deleting names at the behest of the BJP and Modi government. Jawaharlal Nehru and Baba Saheb knew that without democratic participation, the poor and deprived people would not be heard. That is why they strongly advocated for giving voting rights to every adult citizen of India. In the Constituent Assembly debate, Dr Ambedkar called voting rights the most fundamental thing in democracy,” he said.
Kharge further alleged that institutions entrusted with protecting the electoral process were failing to perform their role.
“Today, the opposite is happening. The protector has become the destroyer. The person who was given absolute power by the Constitution and made the guardian of the people’s votes has become a vote-stealer. How can the country trust a Chief Election Commissioner whom even his own colleagues don’t trust?” he said.
He said that in December 1988, former Prime Minister, late Rajiv Gandhi, lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 to empower the youth. “And then there’s Prime Minister Modi, who is so angry with Gen Z that he conspired to disenfranchise them. He quietly changed the rules of Form 6. This is completely illegal,” he alleged.
Kharge further accused the government of failing to provide jobs to young people while allegedly attempting to restrict their voting rights.
“The fear that the youth will question and overthrow them is deeply ingrained in their minds. But this right wasn’t obtained as a free gift; millions have sacrificed their lives for it. No matter how many conspiracies people like Modi and Shah hatch, the Congress will not let them succeed. This democracy, this right to vote, is our legacy, nurtured with our blood and sweat. We will not allow any dictator to destroy it,” he added.
Kharge said the Congress’ fight was not directed against any particular political party, organisation or individual, but was aimed at protecting the rights of voters, the Constitution and the country’s democratic system.
He also congratulated Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, for raising what he described as “authentically correct” issues and praised Congress workers for organising protests at the block, district and state levels. He claimed that people across the country were recognising the concerns raised by the party.
“Had the Election Commission shown even a little seriousness in addressing the facts he (Rahul Gandhi) presented regarding duplicate voters, doubtful addresses, a large number of voters at the same address, and Form-6 entries, he (Gyanesh Kumar) would not be in the dock today, and his credibility would have been preserved,” Kharge said.
“Congress created the institutions of this country, making them independent and empowered. But it is very sad to say that today institutions stand with heads bowed before power. The BJP-RSS is doing this as part of a complete plan,” Kharge said.
He clarified that the Congress’ questions were not intended to weaken constitutional institutions, but to ensure that the Election Commission remained strong and credible enough for both the ruling party and the Opposition to have confidence in its decisions.
“The independence of the Election Commission is one of the first conditions for the security of democracy. But is it wrong to ask who made the SIR decision? Is it wrong to ask why two Election Commissioners were excluded from the Internal Portal? Was something confidential going on?” he questioned.
The Congress also placed five demands before the government and the Election Commission in connection with the electoral roll revision process.
It demanded that complete data on every major change to the voter list should be made public; voters whose names have been removed should be given complete information and an opportunity to appeal; Political parties should have timely access to the voter list and related data in a simple format; where evidence of serious discrepancies emerges, there should be independent and timely investigations; critical data and decisions related to the election process itself should be transparent enough to prevent any party from claiming that information is being concealed.
“Most importantly, Indian voters should have confidence that their vote is safe. We do not view this issue as merely a battle to win or lose an election. Elections come and go, governments come and go, but democracy and the Constitution are permanent. This is the foundation of Indian democracy. We must tell every citizen that the most powerful person in a democracy is the common voter, not the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, or any leader in power,” Kharge said.
The Congress chief also called upon party leaders and workers to take a pledge to protect the transparency of voter lists, fairness of elections and independence of institutions.
“The voter list should be transparent, the election process fair, institutions independent, and the vote of every eligible citizen secure. This is the spirit of the Constitution. This is the soul of democracy. And Congress will never shirk this democratic responsibility. We must do whatever it takes to ensure this, from the streets to Parliament,” he said.
“The vote is the greatest weapon of the poor, Dalits, the deprived, and the exploited. Therefore, Modiji wants to take away this right, but we will not allow it,” Kharge said.
The Congress president further alleged that two Election Commission Commissioners had themselves described the CEC’s actions as “arbitrary and unfair”, and reiterated his demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s removal.
“Now the entire country knows that his (CEC Gyanesh Kumar) constant efforts have been to benefit the ruling party. As such, he has no right to remain in his position and should be removed from office immediately. Furthermore, the Prime Minister, the person under whose pressure he acted in this manner, should resign on moral grounds,” he further said.
Kharge also stressed the importance of ensuring the protection of voters’ rights ahead of elections in five states, saying that the credibility of the electoral process was essential for maintaining public faith in democracy.
“Only then will India’s future be secure and democracy will flourish,” he added.
