SRINAGAR — Congress legislators staged a protest inside the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Friday, raising slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and demanding his removal.
The Congress members carried placards and raised slogans calling for the CEC’s resignation as the House met for its scheduled business.
The protest came amid a nationwide Congress campaign over the party’s concerns regarding the functioning of the Election Commission and the revision of electoral rolls. The party had called on its state units to organise protests on September 25 seeking Kumar’s removal and a review of decisions and electoral-roll changes made during his tenure.
Congress legislators entered the House carrying banners reading “Gyanesh Kumar resign, protect the vote, protect democracy” and raised slogans demanding his resignation.
Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather questioned Congress legislators Nizamuddin Bhat, Irfan Hafiz Lone and Iftikhar over bringing banners into the House and directed them to put them away. He also told the members that the Election Commission of India was not under the jurisdiction of the J&K Assembly and asked them to return to their seats.
The protest took place amid a wider political dispute over the functioning of the Election Commission and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Election Commission has maintained that written notes, observations and differing views among its members are part of institutional deliberations and that its final decisions, including those relating to SIR, have been taken by the full Commission.
Gyanesh Kumar is the Chief Election Commissioner, with Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi serving as Election Commissioners.
Friday’s sitting of the J&K Assembly was scheduled for Private Members’ Resolutions. The Assembly calendar had earmarked September 25 for such resolutions.
Several resolutions were listed for consideration, covering issues including regularisation of daily-rated and similarly placed workers, a parking master plan for Jammu East, allotment of state land to homeless families, expediting the Lolab-Bandipora tunnel, formulation of a jobs policy and restoration of water resources.
The Congress protest adds another political issue to an autumn session that has already seen disruptions and protests over power tariffs, daily-wagers, NHM employees, statehood and other matters.
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