Leaders and workers of the INDIA bloc, mainly from the Congress, National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), staged a joint protest at the Congress headquarters on MA Road in Srinagar on Saturday, in a sharp escalation of the national “Vote Chori” campaign.
They demanded the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Heavy deployment of police and CRPF personnel, along with barricades, prevented the demonstrators from marching towards Lal Chowk or the main roads. Protesters were effectively confined to the party premises.
“Remove CEC Gyanesh Kumar or countrywide agitation over crores of deleted votes will continue,” the INDIA bloc announced.
March stopped at the gates
Congress, NC and PDP leaders and cadres gathered at the J&K Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters. They attempted a street march but were stopped at the gates by security forces. Slogans against the CEC, the BJP-led Centre and alleged electoral manipulation filled the air.
Security forces said the barricades were needed to maintain law and order. Opposition leaders, however, described the barricading as an attempt to suppress democracy.
“Agitation will continue”
Congress leader Dr Waleed Kara said, “The SIR process has raised fundamental questions about democratic fairness, the right to vote of genuine electors, and the need for accountability of those overseeing the revisions.”
He added: “Until the CEC does not step down and an independent enquiry is ordered as the names in this unconstitutional act is coming of PM Modi and Home minister Amit Shah, till then we will keep agitation.”
The bloc’s demands
The INDIA bloc said peaceful protests would intensify and expand until its demands are met. These are:
- Removal of the CEC
- A credible investigation into the scale and methodology of the name deletions, including the alleged involvement of high-ranking political figures
- Restoration of valid names
- Measures to prevent such occurrences in future
The joint presence of the Congress, NC and PDP in Jammu and Kashmir highlighted the opposition’s concerted effort to exert pressure. The core message of the alliance was that protests would continue nationwide until Gyanesh Kumar is removed and a thorough investigation is ordered into those responsible for the deletion of millions of voters’ names.
Allegations over SIR
Opposition leaders have repeatedly alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process was weaponised. They claim it enjoyed political patronage from the highest levels of the central government, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Terming it an unprecedented assault on electoral fairness, the opposition has labelled the move “vote theft”.
How the controversy began
The controversy erupted after reports of large-scale deletions of names from the draft voter list during the SIR process. According to figures cited by the opposition, over 130 million (13 crore) names were removed across various states and union territories.
A newspaper investigation further fuelled the row. It revealed that two other Election Commissioners had formally raised objections on at least 14 occasions over a ten-month period regarding decisions on adding or deleting voters and procedural changes. They claimed that certain orders were issued without their full knowledge.
The Election Commission, however, maintains that the decisions were taken institutionally and unanimously.