‘Gyanesh Kumar Represents Government Of India, Not People’: Rohit Pawar Attacks CEC Amid SIR Row | VIDEO

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Chief Election Commissioner Dnyanesh Kumar amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) row, alleging that past Election Commissioners genuinely represented the people and the Constitution of India, while Kumar did not.

Rohit Pawar questions CEC

Speaking to reporters about the ongoing SIR issue, Pawar said, “Its head is not a representative of the government; rather, they represent the people of India.”

Pawar further alleged that Kumar had not worked for the people but instead worked in favour of the Government of India. Referring to the process of appointing the Chief Election Commissioner, he said, “Originally, the selection panel was to comprise the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), the Prime Minister, and the Chief Justice of India (CJI); together, they would select the head of the Election Commission. But in 2023, the CJI was removed from the panel and replaced by a minister.”

Escalating his attack, Pawar questioned who selects the head of the Election Commission under the current system.

Pawar backs movement against CEC

Speaking about a possible agitation seeking the removal of Kumar, Pawar said, “We would welcome a movement to remove him, though merely removing him won't suffice. We could also launch a movement to abolish EVMs. At the same time, it is crucial to agitate for the necessary structural and technical changes, as well as for greater transparency in the process.”

Pawar also raised questions over the process of electing the CEC, alleging that the law had been amended to ensure that no action could be taken against the Chief Election Commissioner for any future misconduct. He described the amendment as one made to shield Gyanesh Kumar and demanded that the law be reversed.

SIR row and Indian Express investigation

Pawar's remarks come amid an escalating political controversy over the nationwide Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

An Indian Express investigation reported that more than 13 crore names were excluded from draft electoral rolls across states and Union Territories during the SIR exercise.

The investigation also reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi formally raised objections on at least 14 occasions over the past 10 months concerning various steps taken by the poll panel.

Raj Thackeray, Uddhav camp to hold march

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday announced that his party and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) will jointly take out a public march in Mumbai on October 4, taking an aggressive stand against the functioning of the Election Commission led by Chief Election Commissioner Dnyanesh Kumar.

Announcing the protest, Raj Thackeray said the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) would take the lead in organising the march but wanted it to extend beyond the two parties. He urged people to participate in large numbers and that the venue and other details of the October 4 march would be announced soon.

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