Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): A group of protesters staged a Gandhian-style demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar Gupta at Tower Chowk in Freeganj on Tuesday, spinning a 'charkha' and working on laptops while sitting beneath the statue of Dr BR Ambedkar.
Male and female protesters carried posters with slogans including “Gyanesh Kumar, resign”, “Save democracy, save the Constitution”, “Ek kachori, Do samosa, Gyanesh, Tera kua Bharosa?” and “Gali gali mei shor hai, Gyanesh Kumar vote chor hai”. The posters also featured pictures of Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh and Dr BR Ambedkar.
Protester Renuka Gandhi said the demonstration was inspired by the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and Babasaheb Ambedkar and was being conducted peacefully.
She described the SIR process as unconstitutional and alleged that it had led to the removal of a large number of names from electoral rolls. She said the protest was aimed at protecting the rights of ordinary citizens.
Gandhi said spinning the 'charkha' was intended to convey that resistance could be peaceful and constructive. Instead of merely sitting at the protest site, demonstrators were spinning yarn as part of the agitation, she said.
Another protester, Surendra Marmat, said the Constitution gives every citizen an equal right to vote and alleged that a large number of people had been deprived of that right.
He said he was continuing his work on a laptop while participating in the protest and raising his concerns peacefully.
