INDIA bloc leaders meet to plan joint agitation over SIR, seek CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation
Top leaders of the INDIA bloc met on Wednesday to discuss and finalise a joint action plan over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Sources said a draft notice for a fresh attempt to move a motion in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha seeking the removal of the CEC was ready. The proposal was expected to be discussed and approved at the meeting.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretaries Jairam Ramesh and K C Venugopal, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and leaders from the Samajwadi Party, CPI, CPI(M), NCP(SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT), among others, attended the meeting.
The DMK and AAP did not attend, while SP chief Akhilesh Yadav was absent due to the ongoing Rajya Sabha nomination process in Uttar Pradesh.
Ahead of the meeting, Venugopal had said the Congress wanted to organise a large-scale agitation with the participation of political parties to "save democracy" and that suggestions from INDIA bloc leaders would be considered before finalising the future course of action.
He had also said the Congress would coordinate its agitation programme with that of the INDIA bloc.
The opposition alliance has viewed the allegations surrounding the SIR exercise as an opportunity to strengthen coordination among its constituent parties and challenge the government.
The meeting came days after The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders related to the SIR that they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.
The Election Commission, which has faced criticism over the reported objections, has said that differences of opinion and observations are a normal part of institutional deliberations. The poll panel has maintained that its orders have full legal validity and are issued in accordance with established statutory procedures.
The previous INDIA bloc meeting was held on June 8. At that meeting, the alliance members unanimously decided to seek the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-CBSE controversy and to write to the Chief Justice of India regarding the SIR exercise and allegations of "vote loot". (with inputs from PTI)
