Police use force as Congress stages protests across India, demands CEC’s resignation
New Delhi: Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse Congress protesters in several cities on Friday as the opposition party staged country-wide protests demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar for manipulating voter rolls.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in Chandigarh, local Congress party leader Amarinder Singh Raja, said, “Theft of votes is happening across the country.” Police used water cannons after protesters climbed buses and barricades during the demonstration.
Congress and other opposition parties have accused the Election Commission of colluding with Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to manipulate voter lists and win state elections in recent years.
In at least a dozen of India’s 28 states, Congress supporters shouted slogans against Kumar, held up posters demanding his arrest and in one instance, burned an effigy of him and Modi.
In New Delhi, hundreds of protesters climbed barricades and hurled insults at a man wearing a Kumar mask.
The demonstrations were triggered by a report in the Indian Express newspaper on Wednesday that Kumar’s deputies had questioned him over changes to voter lists that opposition groups say benefit Modi’s BJP.
“For three years, I have been exposing vote theft. Now, the election commissioners themselves are acknowledging it and bringing the truth to light,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said late on Thursday, referring to Kumar’s deputies.
“Gyanesh Kumar has committed treason. He should resign immediately,” he added.
