A LARGE number of protesters, including representatives from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, trade unions, student bodies and Left parties, took out a protest march in the capital on Friday, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the withdrawal of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Delhi Police detained several protesters as they tried to march towards the headquarters of the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Ashoka Road in central Delhi, putting up barricades on the road. The march, called by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the Delhi coordination committee of People Against SIR, a people’s collective, began near the Gole Dak Khana, a few hundred metres from the ECI headquarters, with participants carrying the national flag and banners demanding an end to the electoral roll revision exercise.

 

The march was halted near the Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, where police put up barricades. The protesters raised slogans against the Chief Election Commissioner, including “Gyanesh Kumar, resign”, “Halt SIR” and “Won’t tolerate vote theft”, alleging that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise led to the deletion of numerous voters from the electoral rolls. The participants, including students, youth and farmers, were joined by senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, and members of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) and the All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO), among others. The Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) had extended their support to the march, with activists from Delhi, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh participating. Ranka, Das appear before SEM, vow to continue SIR protest: CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das on Friday vowed to continue their movement against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with Das asserting that CECGyanesh Kumar would have to resign.