Jaipur, Oct 5 (IANS) Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene.
Reacting to the ongoing controversy over the functioning of the Election Commission of India and the Supreme Court’s observations on petitions challenging decisions taken during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Gehlot said the credibility and impartiality of the poll body have come under serious scrutiny.
The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Election Commission and the Centre on petitions challenging the manner in which decisions were allegedly taken, while declining to pass an interim order suspending the CEC. The Court said it would examine the matter after receiving responses from the concerned authorities.
Gehlot said that the Election Commission of India had historically earned credibility not only within the country but internationally, with other countries seeking its guidance and cooperation in conducting elections.
He alleged that the Commission’s functioning under Gyanesh Kumar had raised serious questions about its impartiality.
Referring to allegations raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding irregularities in the electoral process, Gehlot said such concerns had been raised earlier but, according to him, were not given adequate attention.
He also criticised the manner in which the Chief Election Commissioner addressed the opposition during a press conference, saying the head of the country’s electoral body should maintain respect towards all political parties.
Gehlot said the Supreme Court’s proceedings had further intensified questions surrounding the functioning of the Election Commission. He referred to the Court’s observation that decisions of the Commission are required to be taken unanimously or by majority, and to its clarification that it had not approved any modified version of Form 6.
He said that in light of the developments, “the only thing left now is his resignation.”
Gehlot questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were not intervening in the matter. He said that the Centre should ensure Kumar’s resignation so that the controversy could be brought to an end and the ruling and opposition parties could focus on their respective responsibilities.
Gehlot also criticised what he described as the government’s silence on the issue and said that the credibility of the electoral system was too important to be allowed to remain under a cloud of controversy.
Gehlot further raised concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and its implications for voters. He questioned what message India was sending to the international community at a time when concerns were being raised over the electoral system.
He alleged that large numbers of names had been removed from electoral rolls and expressed particular concern over the situation in West Bengal. The SIR exercise and the functioning of the Election Commission have become the subject of multiple legal challenges.
Gehlot also referred to an earlier observation during the Supreme Court proceedings that voters who were unable to vote could vote in the next election. He said that, irrespective of the context in which such an observation was made, he considered the message concerning voters who may be excluded from the electoral rolls to be problematic.
He argued that every eligible citizen’s right to participate in the electoral process must be protected and said that the present situation had reached a critical point.
–IANS
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