Agartala, Oct 8:
Tripura Pradesh Congress on Thursday staged a protest in Agartala against the alleged manhandling of INDIA bloc leaders by police during peaceful demonstrations in New Delhi, stopping the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with senior party leader and MLA Sudip Roy Barman describing the day as a “black day” for Indian democracy.
Carrying banners including “Save Democracy” and “Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao”, Congress workers took out a rally through the state capital and raised slogans against Kumar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The protesters were stopped near Fire Brigade Chowmuhani after they broke through a police barricade while attempting to proceed towards IGM Chowmuhani, where the Chief Minister’s official residence is located. Police used water cannons at a second barricade to prevent the protesters from moving further.
Addressing reporters, Roy Barman, a former Minister, alleged that Congress and INDIA bloc leaders, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other MPs, were manhandled and subjected to lathi-charge during protests in Delhi.
“It’s a black day in the history of Indian democracy,” Roy Barman said, alleging that the incidents reflected an attempt to suppress opposition voices.
He said the Congress was protesting across the country to protect citizens’ voting rights and demanded withdrawal of the SIR exercise and the resignation of the CEC.
“SIR must go. Gyanesh must go,” he said.
Roy Barman also questioned the restrictions imposed on opposition MPs during their attempts to meet the Election Commission, asking why elected representatives should require police permission to move peacefully.
The protests come amid a wider confrontation between the opposition and the Election Commission over SIR. The Supreme Court has also been hearing petitions concerning the functioning of the CEC and issues related to the electoral-roll revision process.
