Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 25 (PTI) AICC observer H K Patil on Sunday contended that the concerns raised regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls need to be seriously examined and complete transparency should be ensured in the functioning of the Election Commission.
Patil, speaking at a press conference held at the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) headquarters, said that the strength of Indian democracy lies in free and fair elections, and therefore, the Election Commission (EC) must function impartially and transparently.
However, the complaints raised by various states regarding the revision of the voter list raise serious questions about the functioning of the commission, he said.
He said that reports and complaints have claimed that a large number of voters have been excluded from the electoral list and demanded that it be seriously examined.
Patil alleged that removing names from the voter list without adequate verification and without providing the individuals concerned with an opportunity to provide explanations and raise complaints was contrary to the basic values of democracy.
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer said that the EC must act in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the Constitution and applicable laws and demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar for his role in the SIR, which “questioned Indian democracy”.
He said that the Congress and the INDIA bloc were fighting to protect democracy and have received the support of the youth in this endeavour.
As part of the fight, a huge rally will be organised in the national capital on November 1 by mobilising 10 lakh people under leaders like Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi and KC Venugopal, he said.
Patil demanded that reports of differences of opinion and concerns about procedures among election commissioners should be taken seriously, complaints of interference that affect the integrity of the electoral process should be investigated independently and transparency should be ensured in the digital systems related to the voter list, the handling of data, and the procedures for correcting information and removing names.
“The Election Commission should be prepared to make voter list information available to political parties in a timely and verifiable manner as required by law,” he added.
He also demanded setting up an effective grievance redressal mechanism to verify changes in the voter list as well as identify and correct errors.
Besides that, he also called for restoration of the names of eligible voters which were excluded from the electoral list during the SIR. PTI HMP MNK
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