Punjab Congress Demands Removal, Arrest of CEC Gyanesh Kumar
Punjab Congress protested in Chandigarh demanding action against CEC Gyanesh Kumar amid a political dispute over reported differences within the Election Commission.
Punjab Congress leaders and workers held a protest march in Chandigarh on September 25, demanding the removal and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Speaking during the demonstration, Punjab Congress General Secretary Captain Sandeep Sandhu alleged that Kumar had taken decisions without the agreement of the other Election Commissioners and called for immediate action against him.
Sandhu's remarks came amid a wider political dispute over reported differences within the three-member Election Commission during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. An Indian Express report said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections on 14 occasions over a 10-month period concerning various decisions and orders.
The Election Commission, however, has disputed the interpretation that these internal notes represented a breakdown in decision-making. The poll body said written observations, technical suggestions and differing views are part of its internal checks and balances, while maintaining that decisions, including those related to SIR, were ultimately taken unanimously.
The Punjab protest is part of a broader opposition campaign questioning the functioning of the Election Commission and seeking action against Kumar. The controversy has intensified alongside the ongoing debate over electoral-roll revisions and the reported objections within the poll panel. For now, the SIR row has tur
