INDIA Bloc Plans Joint SIR Protest, Fresh Move Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Top INDIA bloc leaders are meeting in Delhi to plan a joint agitation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and discuss a fresh move seeking Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s removal.

A draft notice for moving removal motions in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha has been prepared and will be discussed at the meeting as per reports.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh and KC Venugopal are reportedly expected to attend, along with Trinamool Congress leaders Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. Leaders from the Samajwadi Party, CPI, CPI(M), NCP(SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) are also expected.

Akhilesh Yadav To Skip Meeting

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will not attend because of his commitments related to Rajya Sabha election nominations in Uttar Pradesh. He has reportedly sent SP MPs Mohibullah Nadvi and Harendra Malik to represent the party.

KC Venugopal said Congress wants to organise a “massive agitation” with the support of Opposition parties and will use suggestions from INDIA bloc leaders to finalise its future course of action.

DMK, AAP Stay Away

The DMK and AAP have decided not to attend the meeting. The DMK, however, said it would support a removal motion against Gyanesh Kumar in Parliament. DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan reportedly said the party was no longer part of the INDIA bloc but would support Opposition parties on issues where they oppose the BJP.

SIR Row At Centre

The meeting comes amid a dispute over the Election Commission’s handling of the SIR exercise.

The Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had reportedly objected at least 14 times in 10 months to SIR-related decisions issued without their knowledge or recommendation.

The Election Commission said differing views and observations were a normal part of institutional deliberations and maintained that its orders had full legal sanction and followed established statutory procedures.

The latest meeting comes nearly four months after the INDIA bloc’s previous meeting on June 8. At that meeting, Opposition parties had discussed the NEET-CBSE row and the SIR exercise, including allegations of “vote chori”.