New Delhi: Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI (M)] General Secretary MA Baby was detained during a protest by Left parties against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar outside the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Delhi on Tuesday.
The protest was part of a wider campaign announced by five Left parties - the CPI(M), Communist Party of India (CPI), CPI(ML) Liberation, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and All India Forward Bloc - seeking the removal of the CEC and a halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The parties had announced a week-long programme of protests from September 26 to October 2.
The protesters demanded the CEC's removal and an immediate halt to the SIR, alleging that the exercise threatened citizens' voting rights.
CPI leader Brinda Karat, who participated in the demonstration, called for the CEC's removal and changes to the rules governing the Election Commission.
"CEC has to be either sacked or he has to resign. He won't resign though, so he needs to be removed. SIR has to be stopped immediately. The 2023 rules should be amended and the Election Commission has to be rectified," Karat said.
CPI(M) leader Subhashini Ali said the Left parties had decided to organise daily demonstrations across the country to oppose the SIR exercise and what they described as an infringement of fundamental rights.
"Left parties of the country have decided that there must be a demonstration or protest every day across the country. This Govt is stealing our fundamental rights. Constitution can function when every citizen has the right to vote freely. They are ending it, and we cannot tolerate it. So, the protest will continue, however long it takes," Ali said.
The dispute over the SIR has become a point of confrontation between opposition parties and the Election Commission, with critics raising concerns about the revision of electoral rolls and the possibility of eligible voters being excluded. The Election Commission, however, has maintained that the exercise is intended to ensure the accuracy of electoral rolls and facilitate the participation of eligible voters.
The Left parties have also called for broader coordination among opposition groups and civil society organisations over the issue. CPI(M) leaders have argued that the functioning of the Election Commission and the protection of voting rights require public scrutiny.
The protest in Delhi comes amid demonstrations by opposition parties in different parts of the country demanding accountability from the poll panel over the revision exercise.