Arunachal Pradesh Congress Stages Dharna over Election Commission, SIR

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) joined the nationwide protest called by the Congress against the Election Commission on Friday, staging a peaceful dharna near Nirvachan Bhawan in Itanagar.

The party demanded the resignation and removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, a freeze on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and an independent inquiry into decisions concerning electoral rolls.

The APCC also sought criminal proceedings against Kumar and an investigation into the orders issued under his tenure. It demanded that upcoming elections be put on hold and the electoral roll restored to the January 2025 voters' list until the completion of an independent inquiry.

The party further sought custody of all SIR-related files by the Supreme Court and repeal of the 2023 law governing the appointment of Election Commissioners, calling for new legislation with greater participation of civil society.

The Congress has cited reported differences among the three Election Commissioners over decisions and orders relating to the SIR as one of the reasons for seeking an independent review. The Election Commission, however, maintained that differences of views were part of institutional deliberations and that its recent orders were taken unanimously.

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