Srinagar, Oct 11: Amid ongoing opposition protests over alleged voter deletions, union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale on Sunday defended Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, asserting that no amount of protest would force him to resign and maintaining that the Election Commission has acted correctly in revising electoral rolls.
“No matter how much you protest, Gyanesh Kumar will not resign. He will not give up,” Athawale told a press conference in Srinagar.
Athawale said opposition parties have the right to protest in a democracy but should not create inconvenience for the public or repeatedly accuse the Election Commission of electoral malpractice without adequate grounds.
Defending the removal of names from electoral rolls, Athawale claimed that the Election Commission had deleted around 13 crore names across the country after scrutiny, citing migration, duplicate registrations, prolonged absence from voting and the deaths of registered electors.
According to Athawale, around six crore people have migrated from their original places of residence, while approximately one crore voters were registered at more than one location. He also claimed that around 2.8 crore entries belonged to deceased voters.
Athawale accused Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other opposition parties of politicising the issue and attempting to corner the government. Rejecting allegations of vote theft, he argued that the presence of polling agents representing candidates at polling stations and during counting made large-scale manipulation difficult.
So it is not right to complain to the Election Commission. Rahul Gandhi’s stand is against the Constitution. Rahul Gandhi and the opposition’s stand is deliberately trying to corner the government. They are trying to give trouble to the people by protests,” he said.
Taking a swipe at the Cockroach Janta Party, Athawale questioned its involvement in the protests, arguing that while the party had raised concerns over the NEET examination paper leak in support of students, its agitation against the poll panel was unwarranted.
On restrictions on demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, Athawale said the government has imposed curbs on protests and warned that those taking part could face arrest.
Recalling his own experiences of protesting under previous governments, Athawale referred to demonstrations in Maharashtra over atrocities against Dalits, saying protesters have also faced police action and restrictions at the time.
His remarks come amid opposition protests over electoral roll revisions and allegations of irregularities in the electoral process. Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders have raised concerns over voter deletions and demanded accountability from the Election Commission.
While defending the poll panel, Athawale acknowledged that errors could occur during electoral roll revisions and urged the commission to ensure transparency and protect every eligible citizen’s right to vote.
“Every person has the right to vote,” Athawale said, adding that voters whose names have been removed mistakenly could seek their inclusion in the electoral rolls again.
He maintained that opposition parties were free to protest but should ensure their demonstrations did not cause unnecessary hardship to the public. He also criticised protests involving alleged attempts to breach barricades and clashes with police, saying such incidents warranted intervention by law enforcement agencies.
