Chandigarh: The Punjab Congress will hold a protest march to the Election Commission of India (ECI) office in Sector 17, Chandigarh, on Friday over the ongoing controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The march will be led by Punjab Congress in-charge and MLA Sachin Pilot, with Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also leading the party’s campaign against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Congress Demands CEC’s Dismissal, FIR And Arrest
Raja Warring has demanded the dismissal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, registration of an FIR against him and those the party describes as his collaborators, followed by their arrest.
The demands were announced after Punjab Congress leaders held a Zoom meeting with Sachin Pilot to discuss the allegations concerning the electoral process and decide the party’s next course of action.
Warring said the party would continue to press for accountability, arguing that the sanctity of the vote and the Constitution should not be compromised.
Sachin Pilot To Lead Chandigarh March
Punjab Congress has announced that party leaders and workers will march to the ECI office in Sector 17 under Sachin Pilot’s leadership.
The march is scheduled to begin at 11 AM on September 25 from near the RBI office in Sector 17, Chandigarh, and proceed towards the Election Commission office.
The protest is part of a wider Congress campaign against the functioning of the Election Commission and the SIR exercise. Congress has directed its state units to organise similar protest marches at State Election Commission offices across the country.
SIR Controversy And ECI’s Response
The protests come amid a political dispute over the SIR process and reports about internal discussions within the Election Commission. Reports have said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised objections on several occasions regarding decisions and orders linked to electoral-roll processes.
The Election Commission has rejected the interpretation that such internal queries and administrative feedback represented structural dissent. The poll panel has maintained that operational questions and suggestions during the drafting process are part of the normal functioning of a multi-member constitutional body and that final decisions concerning SIR were taken unanimously.
Punjab Congress’s protest therefore comes as part of the broader political disagreement over the SIR exercise, electoral-roll changes and the functioning of the Election Commission.