Calling the protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls a "second war of independence", Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, on Sunday, sought an immediate halt to the exercise, the use of ballot papers in all future elections and annulment of all assembly polls held over the past two years.
Addressing a function to mark the 139th birth anniversary of Bihar's first chief minister, Krishna Singh, popularly known as 'Sri Babu', Kharge called on to people to take to the streets.
He said during the meeting of INDIA bloc leaders with President Droupadi Murmu, the leaders demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the repeal of the 2023 law—Section 16 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act—that grants him lifelong legal protection.
"Our demands are clear: the SIR process must be stopped immediately, and the names of voters who were illegally removed must be restored without delay. All elections should be conducted using paper ballots. All Assembly elections held over the last two years should be annulled, and the governments in those states should be dismissed..."
"Governments stolen through 'vote chori' in West Bengal, Haryana, Bihar and Maharashtra must be removed," he said, urging people to take to the streets, fight for their rights and safeguard the Constitution.
Later, reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent remark that the Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi will not come to power for the next 30 years, Kharge said, "Who will even be around in 30 years? He says all this for one reason: to mislead people. And as long as he has these EVMs—and as long as he has his own loyalists planted in those positions—that is the basis for his claims. Even his own people have said that there is foul play..."
