The INDIA bloc in Tripura organised a massive protest rally in Agartala on Friday, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and alleging irregularities in the electoral process. The opposition leaders also claimed that the fall of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in the coming elections was certain.
The rally was led by former Chief Minister and senior CPI(M) leader Manik Sarkar, Leader of the Opposition and CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury, Tripura Congress president Asish Kumar Saha, Congress MLAs Gopal Chandra Roy and Sudip Roy Barman, along with leaders of eight political parties.
Addressing the gathering, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman alleged that the Election Commission’s actions were undermining democracy. He criticised the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and demanded electoral reforms, restoration of the previous law governing the appointment of Election Commissioners, and the removal and arrest of Gyanesh Kumar.
“People are awake, and the fall of Narendra Modi in the coming elections is certain,” Roy Barman said.
Meanwhile, Chaudhury said the protest was aimed at protecting the national tricolour, the Constitution and democratic institutions. He alleged that several institutions, including the judiciary, Election Commission, CBI, Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department and Reserve Bank of India, had been undermined over the past 13 years.
Chaudhury further alleged that the Election Commission was failing to uphold democratic principles and accused it of compromising the sanctity of the electoral process.
He said opposition parties and secular democratic forces needed to unite to protect the country’s constitutional values and ensure free and fair elections.
