‘Only one of 728 remains’: Rahul’s new charge against EC over Delhi’s Bela Estate voter list
NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi on Monday again targeted the Election Commission and CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, citing the case of Delhi’s Bela Estate, where he claimed 727 of 728 names were removed from the voter list. Sharing a video of his phone call with the SDM over the SIR exercise on X, the Rae Bareli MP wrote, “728 people live in Bela Estate on the banks of the Yamuna. After SIR, only one name remains in the voter list – the other 727 names have been struck off.” He said the residents had been living in the area for decades and had voted in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the 2025 Delhi assembly elections. “In 2023, their homes were demolished – but they didn’t go anywhere, they’re still right here,” Rahul said. — rahulgandhi (@rahulgandhi) Rahul said he visited the residents in their jhuggis and heard directly from them about what they alleged had happened during the SIR exercise. He said he also spoke to the SDM over the issue. “On the phone with the SDM, I said exactly this – having a house or not has no connection to the right to vote. CEC Gyanesh Kumar himself has said that “House Number 0″ is for the homeless. Yet, 727 people’s names have been struck off,” he wrote. Former Congress president further criticised the SIR exercise, calling it “a method of vote theft” and alleging that it was taking away the only political power available to some of the country’s poorest citizens. He also targeted chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid a controversy over an Indian Express report on alleged differences between the CEC and the other two election commissioners. “Gyanesh Kumar will go. But the system that made him do this will also have to answer,” Rahul said. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
BJP SC Morcha threatens Statewide protest, seeks ‘White Paper’ on dalit welfare funds
The Telangana BJP SC Morcha has threatened to lay siege to Scheduled Caste (SC) Corporation offices across all districts on Tuesday, alleging that the Congress government has pursued “anti-Dalit” policies and failed to deliver on its welfare promises. The organisation also demanded the release of a White Paper detailing the utilisation of funds allocated for Dalit welfare. In a statement, SC Morcha State president Kanthi Kiran accused the government of neglecting Dalit welfare and diverting funds meant for the community. He alleged that Dalit welfare was being projected through “statistical jugglery on paper” while unemployed Dalit youth continued to suffer due to a lack of tangible benefits. Referring to statements made by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka in the Assembly, Mr. Kiran said the government had claimed to allocate nearly ₹1.20 lakh crore under the Scheduled Caste Special Development Fund (SCSDF) over the 2024, 2025 and 2026 financial years, amounting to about ₹40,000 crore annually. However, he alleged that there was little evidence of the funds translating into benefits on the ground. The BJP leader also questioned the Congress’ Chevella Declaration promise to provide financial assistance of ₹12 lakh to every Dalit family. He claimed that although nearly five lakh applications had been received under the Rajiv Yuva Vikasam self-employment scheme, none had been approved or implemented so far. Mr. Kiran said the government’s failure to provide expenditure details despite three Right to Information (RTI) applications filed with the Hyderabad District SC Corporation and District Collectors had raised serious concerns. He demanded that the proposed White Paper disclose department-wise allocations from the SC Development Fund, actual expenditure incurred and the number of beneficiaries who received assistance under self-employment schemes. ‘Anti-CEC rally’ faulted Meanwhile, BJP leaders including party spokesperson N.V. Subash, vice-president B. Narsaiah Goud and Legislature Party leader A. Maheshwar Reddy condemned what they described as an “anti-Chief Election Commissioner rally” and accused the State government of misusing the police machinery to suppress the Opposition while permitting Congress-backed protests against a constitutional authority. The leaders alleged that the Congress was targeting CEC Gyanesh Kumar because it was uncomfortable with measures aimed at ensuring greater integrity of electoral rolls. Dr. Goud challenged Congress governments in various States to resign if they had doubts about the electoral process, while Mr. Reddy demanded evidence to support allegations against the Election Commission, claiming that recent clarifications had reinforced public confidence in constitutional institutions. The Hindu Bureau Courtesy : The Hindu Note: This news is originally published on https:/thehindu.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
SP eyes Agra, the ‘Dalit Capital’ of UP, betting on youth and women voters to increase its vote share by 27,000 in each seat.
UP Assembly Election 2027: The Samajwadi Party is organizing a Dalit convention in Agra on November 15th. All local organizations are being contacted for this purpose. Sanjay Singh, Agra/New Delhi: In view of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections, Akhilesh Yadav has set a target of increasing his vote share by at least 27,000 in each assembly seat. In this effort, the Samajwadi Party has focused on two categories of voters: women and youth, to return to power. The party is also trying to woo Dalit voters who have been drifting away from the party amid the electoral decline of the Bahujan Samaj Party in recent years. As part of its strategy to woo Dalits, the SP has decided to organize a Dalit convention in Agra on November 15th. Agra is also known as the Dalit capital of North India due to its large population of SC voters. Ramji Lal Suman touring Western UP SP National General Secretary Ramji Lal Suman said, “I am touring various districts in Western UP to invite SC voters to attend this convention. We are in contact with local SC organizations to ensure a large turnout at the convention. We will tell voters that the BJP does not care about the interests of SC voters.” Aim to reduce BJP’s vote share by 27,000 in each seat It should be noted that former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav recently announced that his party has set a target of increasing its vote share by 27,000 votes in each assembly seat. His party will work to reduce the BJP’s vote share by 27,000 in each assembly seat. This was the margin of victory in 93 seats. The Samajwadi Party aims to strengthen its booth-level organization, conduct door-to-door outreach, and reverse the narrow margins of lost seats in the 2022 elections. The SP had approximately 93 seats where the margin of victory was this close. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the SP gained an edge in 72 seats where the BJP won. The SP is aiming to maintain this lead and expand it to other assembly constituencies. Dalit Voters Up to 30 Percent Of the total 20 to 20.57 lakh voters in Agra, Dalit voters constitute approximately 30 percent, or approximately 600,000 to 6.2 lakh. This is a reserved seat, and BJP’s SP Singh Baghel was elected MP here in 2024. Will the Samajwadi Party secure Dalit votes in the UP elections? Share your opinion in the comment section. Click to comment. Edited by: Vaibhav Pandey About the Author Vaibhav Pandey is a Senior Journalist/Assistant News Editor at Navbharat Times Online. He has 18 years of experience in the media industry. Vaibhav Pandey joined Navbharat Times Online in 2018. Currently, he closely monitors news from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Courtesy: Hindi News
‘Vote chori buys not just results but arrogance’: Rahul Gandhi attacks BJP over Parvesh Verma slap video
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday hit out at the BJP over a video showing Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh appearing to slap a man during a road inspection in Tilak Nagar, linking the incident to his broader “vote chori” campaign and alleging that electoral victory had made the ruling party fearless of voters. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said, “vote theft buys not just the result, but the arrogance that follows”. “A BJP minister from the Delhi government is seen slapping a young man in a video. His crime? He was making a video. A road was being dug up right in front of the minister, and he had a camera in his hand,” Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X. — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 27, 2026 “This is the face of a power that no longer fears the voters,” he said. Gandhi further said, “Ask a question on the street – a slap. Ask a question on paper leaks – a lathi charge. Ask a question in Parliament – the mic is switched off. These people do this because they no longer fear that elections can remove them.” “Vote theft buys this – not just the result, but the arrogance that follows,” he said. “A government that takes victory for granted doesn’t need your consent – it demands your silence and ‘andhbhakti’,” Gandhi said. Parvesh Verma responds to Rahul Gandhi Responding to Gandhi’s post, the PWD minister said, “Rahul ji, aap rehne do bhai, aapko kuch nahi pata” (Rahul ji, please leave it brother, you don’t know anything). The remarks came amid a political row over a video showing Verma appearing to slap a man during a road inspection in west Delhi’s Tilak Nagar. What happened during road inspection? The incident took place while Verma was inspecting a newly laid road in the area. AAP MLA Jarnail Singh, who was present at the spot, questioned the quality of the work and pulled out portions of the road surface by hand. A man standing nearby and recording the proceedings was then slapped by the minister, according to the video circulated by AAP leaders. TOI reported that the man, identified as Saheb Singh, said he was associated with Jarnail Singh and handled the MLA’s social media accounts. Saheb Singh told the police that he was recording the inspection when Verma allegedly snatched his phone and slapped him. Delhi Police has received his complaint and said it was verifying the facts. “I was recording a video of the inspection when Parvesh Singh snatched my phone and raised his hand at me, which is clearly visible in the video. His security personnel held my hand and grabbed me by the neck, and pulled me away,” Saheb Singh said. Verma’s version of the incident Parvesh Verma, however, alleged that the man had abused his family members and accused Jarnail Singh of seeking a commission in the road repair work. “When his (AAP MLA’s) worker abused my family, I did what any person would do after getting angry,” the minister said in a video message posted by the Delhi BJP on X. In another video message, Verma said the clip being circulated by AAP did not show the full context of the incident and accused Jarnail Singh of pressuring PWD engineers over the road project. “MLA Jarnail Singh had complained of poor road construction work, and when I visited the spot, I requested the AAP MLA to also come there,” he said. The PWD minister alleged that Jarnail Singh called AAP workers to the site and that they abused him and his family, leading him to react “in a manner any common man would”. Police said Saheb Singh has lodged a complaint against the minister at Vikaspuri police station, and the facts are being verified. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
SIR row: Nadda backs EC, sends message to Rahul Gandhi and opposition
NEW DELHI: Union minister JP Nadda on Monday attacked the opposition and leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over the SIR row surrounding the Election Commission, saying, “repeating a lie a hundred times does not make it the truth”. Nadda also targeted Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing them of attempting to “malign and weaken” the country’s autonomous and constitutional institutions. He described their approach as a “toolkit mentality”. Speaking to reporters, Nadda took a direct aim at the Congress leader saying, “Rahul Gandhi, listen carefully: repeating a lie a hundred times does not make it the truth; the truth cannot be defeated.” “For Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Akhilesh Yadav, and Mamata Banerjee, the sole agenda has become to malign and weaken the nation’s autonomous and constitutional institutions. This is the same ‘toolkit mentality’ that hatches a new conspiracy every morning to stall the country’s development: level allegations, disrupt the national atmosphere, and flee. This has become the opposition’s modus operandi,” he said. “They care nothing for national security, public welfare, or the country’s honor and prestige. Their only objective is to seize power, not to serve the people, but to nurture dynastic politics and reap personal benefits… The public has taught a befitting lesson to the forces seeking to create instability in the country in the past, and in the future too; every delusion and conspiracy of theirs will be shattered in the court of the people,” he added. Nadda further accused the opposition of continuing to raise allegations despite the Election Commission’s responses, saying it was attempting to create confusion and disrupt the atmosphere in the country. “Today, as the nation realizes the resolve of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India) through the tireless efforts of its 1.4 billion citizens, and as India’s influence resonates across the global stage, the Congress and the entire ‘INDI Alliance’ are, unfortunately, frustrated and despondent at this progress…” Nadda said. “Lacking policies and a vision, they are now devising new ploys to spread confusion and anarchy across the country. We all witnessed the uproar created nationwide just a few days ago over a fabricated story. Now, even after the Election Commission has exposed every lie they propagated, they are once again attempting to vitiate the atmosphere,” Nadda added. He further alleged that Rahul and Kejriwal “make allegations and walk away; they have nothing to do with public interest.” The Union minister accused the opposition of attempting to create confusion and disturb the atmosphere in the country despite lacking “intent and vision”. “We saw a few days ago how an attempt was made to disturb the atmosphere across the country on the basis of a fabricated news report. Now, even after all members of the Election Commission have responded to their allegations, they are once again engaged in efforts to vitiate the atmosphere in the country,” Nadda said. Nadda also contrasted the BJP’s approach to power with that of the opposition, saying, “For BJP, power is a means to serve the interests of 140 crore people.” He said the BJP’s objective was to serve citizens and fulfil its commitment to Antyodaya, while accusing the Opposition of seeking power for dynastic politics and its own interests. Kharge demands CEC’s resignation Nadda’s remarks came after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other leaders demanded the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and alleged that he was propagating the BJP’s philosophy. “They will say like this only, but their own people have exposed them, and their own people are telling. Even a Chief Secretary of Kerala says, our CEC himself told him to contest the election. It means that a person who is in the highest position is propagating the BJP’s philosophy, and he has become a BJP worker. So it is clear. There is nothing. He should resign. If he has got any little moral right, he should resign from that post. And afterwards, we have to take action against him, even after resignation,” Kharge said. “I have called a working committee meeting for tomorrow, and there we’ll discuss; all the working committee members will give their suggestions. And we are going to fight seriously. This issue concerns the entire country, the existence of our democracy, and the country’s survival. That’s why we are very serious about this issue. We’ll fight, and we’ll see that,” he added. Rahul Gandhi’s allegations over SIR The political row comes amid opposition criticism of the Election Commission’s handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Rahul Gandhi had earlier alleged that the 2024 Lok Sabha and assembly elections were “all rigged” and demanded the immediate resignation of Gyanesh Kumar. He also accused the CEC of “match-fixing elections”, citing a news channel report claiming that Kumar had approached former Kerala chief secretary Jiji Thomson to contest the 2026 Assembly elections on a BJP ticket. The Election Commission, meanwhile, clarified that a letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary that had drawn scrutiny related to the functioning of an officer on deputation to the poll body and not to any policy matter. The row also follows an Indian Express report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months on decisions and orders related to SIR and other electoral matters. The reported objections included issues concerning Form 6, voter deletions and access to electoral-roll databases. The poll body rejected the suggestion that these objections amounted to institutional dissent over final decisions, saying operational queries, inputs and suggestions raised during the draft stage were part of its standard administrative and decision-making process. The Election Commission maintained that all decisions taken by it, including those related to SIR, were unanimous and had the approval of all three commissioners, PTI reported. Opposition parties, including the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), have demanded Kumar’s resignation. Meanwhile, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said an INDIA bloc meeting
‘Will contest at least 150 seats in UP’: Congress discusses alliance talks with SP
NEW DELHI: The Congress will contest at least 150 seats in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections early next year, a party leader said on Monday, asserting that the party is “entitled” to contest half the seats in an alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP). Seat-sharing talks with the SP are likely to be finalised in October, according to Rajendra Pal Gautam, the Congress’ Uttar Pradesh in-charge. “Seat-sharing will likely be finalised in October. Congress has candidates available to contest all 403 seats. Under the alliance, the Congress is entitled to 50% of the seats. We will not contest fewer than 150 seats,” Gautam told ANI. “For the last two months, Congress has been working on seat-sharing in Uttar Pradesh. Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi, KC Venugopal and I are looking after this work,” he added. The Congress and the SP are key constituents of the Opposition INDIA bloc in Uttar Pradesh. The two parties contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the state as alliance partners, winning 43 of the 80 seats. The SP won 37 seats — its best performance in a Lok Sabha election — while the Congress secured six. The BJP, which rules both the Centre and the state, finished second with 33 seats, down from 62 in 2019. The previous SP-Congress alliance in Uttar Pradesh, for the 2017 assembly elections, was less successful. The SP won 47 seats and was voted out of power, while the Congress secured only seven seats. Courtesy : TO Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Rahul Gandhi speaks to IIT-B student Sahil Wakode’s parents, assures all help
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi spoke to the parents of deceased IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode and assured them of all possible help in their fight to seek justice for their son, party sources said told PTI on Thrusday. Rahul Gandhi made a video call to Ravindra and Sonali Wakode while they were travelling to Mumbai from Washim district, the sources told PTI. During the nearly 17 minute call, Gandhi told the couple that he was with them and assured them of all help. Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib and Maharashtra unit chief Shivraj More were also present with Sahil’s parents during the call. The conversation comes amid growing protests and demands for an independent probe into Sahil’s death. His parents have alleged that their son faced caste based discrimination and mental harassment at IIT Bombay and have sought action against those they hold responsible. Sahil, a second year BTech student at IIT Bombay, was found hanging in his hostel room on the evening of September 18. His death occurred hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid semester examination. The examination incident became a key focus of the case after Sahil was allegedly stopped by a professor and taken out of the examination hall. CCTV footage from the hall, aired by some television channels on Wednesday, reportedly shows Sahil’s movements before the professor approaches him and leads him away. The Mumbai Police Crime Branch is investigating the death. An FIR has been registered alleging abetment to suicide on grounds of caste discrimination. Faculty member Suryanarayan Doolla, who has been named in the FIR, has been sent on leave to facilitate an impartial investigation. IIT Bombay has maintained that its SC/ST cell had not received a complaint from Sahil before his death. The institute has also constituted a 10 member committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident. Sahil’s parents have announced that they will begin an indefinite hunger strike outside the IIT Bombay gate from 11 am on Thursday. Their demands include a thorough investigation into the circumstances preceding their son’s death and action based on the findings of the probe. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Cong-led oppn demands Gyanesh ouster, Supreme Court probe
NEW DELHI: Congress Wednesday led the opposition in demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar be sacked and an SC-monitored probe be ordered into the “rot”, amid reports that two ECs repeatedly opposed various steps taken about SIR. The opposition announced it will move “impeachment motions” against Kumar whenever a “special session” of Parliament is called. It underlined that a removal notice against Kumar, submitted in April, is pending with the Rajya Sabha chairperson. Mamata Banerjee, CPM’s John Brittas, CPI(ML)’s Dipankar Bhattacharya, DMK’s M K Stalin, Sena (UBT)’s Uddhav Thackeray, NCP(SP)’s Supriya Sule, CPI’s D Raja, AAP and SP demanded SIR be halted. With vote chori, BJP, RSS & EC committed act of treason: Rahul Gandhi Sources said the INDIA bloc will jointly take forward the fight against CEC. LoP Rahul Gandhi said, “Vote chori is a crime against people and a direct attack on our Constitution. BJP, RSS and EC who organised it have committed act of treason. Justice will be served.” Mamata said Kumar should be arrested, while TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee demanded a “look out circular” be issued against the CEC to prevent him from “fleeing”. Stalin said Kumar had no right to continue in office and must resign. He sought a fair probe “into everything that transpired within EC”, adding those responsible should be held accountable. Terming the reports’ findings “explosive”, he said it cast “serious doubts” over the results of every assembly election held after the SIR exercise. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and MP Abhishek Singhvi said the opposition has been raising questions about the fairness of elections and EC’s role for a long time, but their concerns went unheeded. “Misuse of Form 6, misuse of software, tampering with voter lists, decisions without transparency – these are all now in front of the country. Then what did the CEC do about these objections? In the first three phases of SIR, 13.8 crore names were removed from draft electoral rolls of 31 states and UTs.” Party general secretary K C Venugopal said, “How the hell can one man, acting on his master’s orders, strike off names at whim? How can he sideline fellow constitutional officers to take blatantly illegal steps that put our democracy in danger?” Singhvi said the revelations are an example of a “double bulldozer sarkar”. He said while an external bulldozer works against institutions, an internal bulldozer is CEC who bulldozed his own organisation and colleagues and “hijacked” EC. He said SC has clearly ruled that all election commissioners, including the CEC, function on equal footing, and the revelations about the watchdog’s functioning show that election commissioners S S Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, who dissented against the CEC were in a majority. Courtesy :TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
ED appeal ‘abuse of process’ in National Herald case: Gandhis
dapibus leo. NEW DELHI: Congress netas Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have said it is “abuse of the process of law” that ED has challenged in Delhi high court a trial court order refusing to take cognisance of its chargesheet against them in the National Herald-linked money laundering case. In a response filed in the high court, the Gandhis opposed ED’s revision plea saying it is “not maintainable” as trial court’s order is “perfectly legal and sound in law and does not suffer from any jurisdictional error, perversity, irregularity or illegality”. On Tuesday, Justice Sachin Datta was informed by the Gandhis’ counsel that they had filed their replies on Sept 18. HC has listed the matter for Oct 12. “Petitioner (ED) has miserably failed to demonstrate that the complaint filed by ED was maintainable under statutory provisions applicable to case. It is writ large that the words ‘private complaint’ or ‘a complaint by a public person/citizen’ do not find place in the statutory framework,” they contended. On Dec 16, 2025, trial court had held that cognisance of the agency’s complaint in the case was “impermissible in law” as it was not founded on an FIR. In its order, trial court had said ED’s probe stemmed from a private complaint, and not an FIR. Despite receiving the complaint made by BJP neta Subramanian Swamy and the consequent summoning order in 2014, CBI refrained from registering an FIR in relation to the alleged scheduled offence. ED claimed that trial court order has, in effect, given a hall pass to a category of money launderers only on ground that scheduled offence is reported by a private individual by way of a complaint to a magistrate. Opposing ED’s plea, Gandhis said this case provides the only instance where a non-statutory complaint by a private person has been made the foundation for initiating proceedings under the PMLA. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘This is treason’: Rahul Gandhi revives ‘vote chori’ charge after report of rift within EC
dapibus leo. NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday revived his “vote chori” charge against the Election Commission and accused election officials of committing “treason”. In a post on X, Rahul said, “I am telling the EC and election officials clearly: What you are doing is wrong. This is treason, this is against the country. Do not forget that. The time will come when we will catch you. You will not be able to escape.” His remarks came after an Indian Express report claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections to the poll panel’s actions at least 14 times over the past 10 months during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The report said the commissioners had flagged issues relating to the addition and deletion of voters as well as the handling of voter data. Senior Congress leaders KC Venugopal and P Chidambaram also stepped up their attack on the poll panel following the report. Chidambaram said the opposition had already contended that several decisions concerning the SIR were wrong and questioned how Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s view could become the decision of the Commission if the two Election Commissioners had taken a contrary position. “The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that if the decision-making process is flawed or wrong, the decision will also be flawed or wrong. The opposition has contended that many decisions concerning SIR were wrong. Now, it is revealed that the decision-making process was also wrong,” Chidambaram said. “If two ECs have taken a contrary view, how could the CEC make his view the ‘decision’ of the ECI? All decisions of the ECI in recent years should be reviewed by a Parliamentary Committee. Meanwhile, the SIR process should be suspended immediately all over the country,” he added. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal also targeted CEC Gyanesh Kumar and demanded his removal. “There is no doubt remaining. Mr Gyanesh Kumar has no right to remain in office. How the hell can one man, acting on His Master’s orders, strike off names at whim? How can he sideline fellow Constitutional officers to only take blatantly illegal steps that put our democracy in danger?” Venugopal said. “The right to vote is an essential Constitutional power given to every citizen, the fundamental bedrock of our democracy. If it is to be taken away, due process must be followed with utmost probity,” he added. EC rejects reports of differences The Election Commission, however, rejected reports of differences within the poll panel over the SIR and said all decisions related to the exercise were taken unanimously. Officials told news agency PTI that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi did raise concerns over some aspects of voter roll deletion and database handling, but these did not amount to disagreement with the final decisions taken by the Commission. EC sources said all decisions of the Commission, including those relating to the SIR, had the approval of Sandhu, Joshi and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Officials also pointed out that the law governing the Election Commission, as well as a Supreme Court judgment, provides that decisions should, as far as possible, be taken unanimously. Where unanimity is not possible, the majority view prevails. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights