Agartala, Oct 24 (PTI) INDIA bloc’s Tripura unit will organise a rally here on October 30, pressing for a five-point charter of demands, including the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the inclusion of voters excluded from electoral rolls through the SIR, two senior leaders said.
Addressing a press conference, Leader of the Opposition in the Tripura Assembly Jitendra Chaudhury said the country was heading towards a national crisis as citizens’ voting rights were allegedly being curtailed in the name of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
“Over 13 crore electors have so far been disenfranchised through SIR across the country. The CEC has been acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to ensure BJP victories in electoral battles,” Chaudhury claimed.
The CPI(M) state secretary alleged that the SIR exercise in West Bengal and Bihar was aimed at ensuring the BJP’s victory in the two states’ Assembly elections.
“We have learnt that around 2.50 lakh voters may be deleted from the electoral rolls through SIR in our state. The move to disenfranchise valid voters is aimed at giving political mileage to the BJP in electoral battles. If this happens, we will strongly raise our voice,” he said.
Chaudhury also criticised the Modi government over a law passed in the Lok Sabha that, he alleged, granted the CEC immunity from legal action for acts performed in office.
“Lifetime immunity has been given to the CEC to protect him from facing any legal action for his wrongdoings in the future. Even the President of India, the Prime Minister and chief ministers do not enjoy such immunity,” he said.
Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Asish Kumar Saha said the INDIA bloc has been fighting for people’s voting rights nationwide.
“To intensify the movement in Tripura, we will organise a massive rally on October 30 with a five-point charter of demands, including the removal of Gyanesh Kumar and the inclusion of names deleted from electoral rolls through SIR,” Saha said.
He added that if security forces attempted to stop the proposed rally, the INDIA bloc would stage a demonstration outside the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).
Saha also appealed to people to join the movement, setting aside their political beliefs, and said the issue concerned the larger interests of the country and the universal franchise guaranteed by the Constitution. PTI PS MNB
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