New Delhi: All India Students’ Association, along with Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha and Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, Wednesday gave a call for a protest at Jantar Mantar on Oct 2, demanding the impeachment of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of irregularities in electoral rolls and the conduct of elections.Announcing the protest, the organisers alleged that Election Commission of India’s exercise to revise electoral rolls had raised serious concerns over voters being excluded from the rolls. The protest is not merely about the resignation of an individual but about a larger issue concerning citizens’ voting rights, they said, adding that police have been informed about the event.Jha said questions over the fairness of elections were earlier dismissed as concerns raised by opposition parties after electoral defeats, but a media investigation had now brought forward “evidences and proofs”. He alleged that micro-management was taking place at the booth level and potential voters were being excluded.Bhushan said the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise had resulted in the deletion of votes of 130 crore people and claimed that more voters could be excluded. He also alleged that Kumar had taken decisions without adequately consulting two other commission members.The protest comes amid wider opposition mobilisation over electoral rolls. The INDIA bloc has announced joint Save Democracy marches and rallies, while demanding greater scrutiny of SIR and electoral processes.Democratic Youth Federation of India has also called a Jantar Mantar protest on Oct 2 over unemployment, vacant govt posts, education, wages and housing.
