Ranchi/Bokaro: Protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar dominated Ranchi on Saturday, with RJD and CPI(ML)-affiliated All India Students’ Association (AISA) holding separate demonstrations.RJD organised a torchlight procession in Dhurwa, protesting alleged vote theft and opposing the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act. Party state spokesperson Kailash Yadav claimed the legislation would cause an annual loss of Rs 13,000 crore to Jharkhand, affecting govt welfare schemes.AISA held a protest meeting at Albert Ekka Chowk, demanding Kumar’s resignation and withdrawal of the SIR exercise.State BJP president Aditya Sahu alleged that Congress and JMM were opposing the roll revision to protect their vote banks. Speaking in Giridih, Sahu claimed the exercise was aimed at identifying and removing the names of alleged illegal residents from electoral rolls.He alleged that Congress and JMM were opposing the process because such voters supported the two parties. Sahu also accused “anti-national forces” of trying to disturb the situation by raising different issues while criticising the CEC.On the other hand, BJP sought to gherao the Congress office in Ranchi over allegations of sexual harassment against dismissed JNU professor and Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam. Members of BJP Mahila Morcha marched from Shaheed Chowk towards the Congress office, carrying placards with slogans such as “Naari ka apmaan, nahi sahega Hindustan” and “Rahul Gandhi sharm karo”.Police stopped the protesters near the office with barricades. BJP workers then staged a dharna and raised slogans against the Congress.BJP Mahila Morcha state president Seema Singh and Ranchi MLA CP Singh, among others, accused the Congress of going soft on Akoijam and questioned its silence over allegations that he had sexually harassed at least 10 students.Congress’s Rama Khalko said action against the MP was almost certain, but asked why the BJP had not acted against its own public representatives facing similar allegations.
