New Delhi, 23 October (H.S.): Left-wing parties and several student organisations staged a march in Delhi on Friday against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, a process aimed at updating voter lists. The protesters demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and an immediate halt to the SIR exercise. Delhi Police detained several demonstrators during the protest.

The march began near the intersection of Kalibari Marg and Bhai Vir Singh Marg, close to Gole Dak Khana, and proceeded towards the Election Commission headquarters. The protesters raised slogans against the alleged deletion of voters’ names from electoral rolls. Their slogans included “Gyanesh Kumar, resign”, “Stop SIR” and “We will not tolerate vote theft”.

Senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat said the struggle would continue until Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resigned. Communist Party of India (CPI) leader P. Sandosh said the agitation would intensify and asserted that no one could protect Kumar from the protesters’ demands.

Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has extended the deployment of 273 companies of Central Armed Police Forces in Delhi until October 31. According to sources, the decision was taken in view of the possibility of sudden protests by political and other groups.

Separately, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka appeared before a Special Executive Magistrate at Delhi’s Mandir Marg police station on Friday. Leaders associated with the movement reiterated that their agitation demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar would continue.

After the proceedings, Saurav Das told the media that everyone should respect the judicial process. He said the future course of the agitation would be decided collectively and not by the CJP alone. Several people were associated with the movement, he added, and all stakeholders would jointly discuss its next steps. Das maintained that Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation was inevitable.

When asked how the agitation would continue if its leaders were detained, CJP leader Ashutosh Ranka said the movement would go on regardless. He said he did not consider himself a leader but rather a custodian of the platform entrusted to him by the people of the country. His aim, he added, was to fulfil his role through that platform.

Ranka asserted that the movement would continue both inside and outside prison. He said the agitation had taught him a great deal about himself and the functioning of the system of governance. The movement would be adapted as necessary and developed further to sustain its momentum, he added.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar