Srinagar, Sep 25 : Noisy scenes were witnessed in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Friday as Congress MLAs protested against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
As soon as the House proceedings began, the Congress members took to their feet and raised slogans against Kumar.
Congress MLAs Nizamuddin Bhat, Irfan Hafiz Lone, and Iftikhar Ahmad, shouted slogans against the CEC and displayed banners saying “Protect the vote, protect the democracy” and “No democracy without fair elections”.
“This is an attack on democracy,” Lone said.
Bhat urged Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather that the Congress MLAs be heard.
However, the Speaker disallowed them and asked them to take their seats.
As the Congress MLAs continued with the protest, and tried to storm into the well of the House, the Speaker warned them of action.
The members also demanded resignation and arrest of Kumar.
However, the Speaker told the protesting members that the Election Commission of India “is not in our control”.
Later, the Congress MLAs took their seats and the proceedings of the Question Hour continued.
Congress and other opposition parties have been protesting against the CEC after an Indian Express report said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected on record at least 14 times over the last 10 months to decisions and orders they said were issued without their knowledge, even as the national rollout of the SIR was under the supervision of the full commission.
Their objections covered the manner in which the statutory voter registration Form 6 was amended, the handling of additions and deletions from voter lists, and centralised control over the electoral roll database, according to the report
Under fire over the red flags raised by two of its commissioners over the SIR process, the EC asserted on Wednesday that differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberations in any institution and all its orders carry full legal sanction and follow established statutory procedures.
In a statement, the poll panel also said that not only the three commissioners, but every officer of the EC is fully authorised to give his suggestions to the commission for improving the electoral system.
