The party’s founder Abhijeet Dipke launched a sharp attack on Gyanesh Kumar, calling him the country’s “biggest anti-national” and demanding his immediate resignation amid the widening controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Addressing a press conference, reported by ANI, Dipke alleged that the Election Commission under Kumar was determining who could vote, arguing that this went against the principle of people choosing their government.
“Chief Election Commissioner is the biggest anti-national. Gyanesh Kumar is the biggest anti-national of this country. He should resign immediately because he is the biggest threat to India’s democracy. What did democracy mean in our country? Democracy meant that the people would elect the government. Since Gyanesh Kumar became the Chief Election Commissioner, the government has been deciding who will be allowed to vote and who will not. Is this democracy? What kind of definition of democracy is this? You have turned the entire concept of democracy upside down,” Dipke said.
Dipke’s attack comes amid wider EC row
Dipke’s comments come as Kumar faces sustained attacks from several Opposition leaders following an Indian Express report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on multiple occasions over electoral-roll-related decisions.
The reported differences concerned issues including additions and deletions from electoral rolls, procedures surrounding voter registration and aspects of the SIR exercise.Also Read: Election Commissioner appointment law: The case on India’s top election body before the Supreme Court, the controversy and what comes next | Explained
The controversy has prompted Opposition leaders to question the Election Commission’s internal decision-making and demand action against Kumar.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have accused the poll panel of facilitating alleged electoral manipulation, while Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has called for Kumar’s resignation and demanded a fresh electoral-roll revision.
Priyanka Gandhi said those responsible should face action if allegations of election manipulation were established, while Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission, BJP and RSS of committing an “act of treason”.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also demanded action against Kumar, while AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal has sought cancellation of the SIR exercise and restoration of an earlier electoral roll.
Other Opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, have also questioned the poll panel’s handling of electoral rolls and sought various forms of corrective action.
The Election Commission has disputed allegations that electoral rolls or elections were manipulated.
