Bhopal, Oct 8 (IANS) The Madhya Pradesh Congress on Thursday staged protests across the state against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, extending support to Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s agitation in New Delhi and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The protests were organised at block and district levels following a nationwide call by the Congress leadership.
In Bhopal, former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari and Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar led a march from Board Office Square to the Ambedkar statue.
Congress workers raised slogans against the Election Commission and later staged a sit-in protest at Board Office Square.
Several protesters sat and lay on the road, disrupting traffic at the busy intersection.
Speaking to reporters, Digvijaya Singh said the Congress was protesting to protect citizens’ voting rights.
“We have to sit on the road in the interest of the people. We are protesting to restore the rights that have been taken away from the people,” he said.
Singh alleged that democracy was being undermined in the country.
“The votes of 13 crore people have been stolen. Who stole these votes? This is not a battle for Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi; it is a fight for the rights of the people of this country,” he said, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was promoting a dictatorial style of governance.
He also demanded the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, saying that democracy required an impartial Election Commission.
“If Prime Minister Narendra Modi has even a little sensitivity, he should seek the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar. If the Election Commission is not impartial, democracy will not survive,” he said.
Patwari said the Congress was observing a “Black Day” across the state in protest against the police action on LoP Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and INDIA bloc MPs during their demonstration in Delhi.
He said the party would continue to raise questions regarding electoral rolls and the election process through democratic means and would continue its campaign to protect voting rights.
In Bhopal, some protesters climbed the Ambedkar statue and raised slogans, prompting deployment of additional police personnel.
NSUI workers also attempted to spray black paint on a poster of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leading to an argument with the police.
Protests were also held in several other districts.
In Indore, Congress workers burnt an effigy of Gyanesh Kumar and raised slogans demanding his resignation.
In Sagar, party workers dressed in black and tied their hands with ropes before burning an effigy of the Chief Election Commissioner.
The Congress also alleged that more than 15 party workers travelling to Delhi to join LoP Rahul Gandhi’s protest were made to deboard a train at Itarsi.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav criticised the Congress for blaming the Election Commission for its electoral setbacks and said the party should introspect about its organisation and leadership.
Referring to Congress governments in Kerala and Himachal Pradesh, Yadav questioned the party’s criticism of the electoral process.
“If there is distrust in the Election Commission’s process, then what is the meaning of Congress’s victory in Kerala?” he said.
–IANS
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