Kharge Questions Government’s Position
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has accused the Narendra Modi government of protecting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid the dispute over electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Kharge renewed his demand for Kumar’s resignation in a social media post.
RTI Disclosure and Voter Records
Kharge questioned the Election Commission’s reported refusal to disclose information about software used in the SIR process under a Right to Information request, citing trade secrets. He also referred to figures relating to Form 6 applications and voter records in Uttar Pradesh. The allegations and figures were cited by Kharge and have not been independently established here.
INDIA Bloc Repeats Its Demands
Kharge reiterated the opposition alliance’s calls for a halt to the SIR exercise, action on voter names allegedly removed unlawfully and changes to the legal framework governing election commissioners. The Election Commission and government sources have maintained that SIR is a lawful exercise intended to improve voter-list accuracy.
November 1 Rally Planned
The Congress president has urged supporters to attend the INDIA bloc’s rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on November 1. The event forms part of the opposition’s wider campaign over alleged electoral-roll irregularities.
