'Wrong message to society': Rijiju attacks Rahul over Gyanesh Kumar resignation demand

Union minister Kiren Rijiju criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, arguing that such remarks would send a "wrong message to society." Rijiju made his remarks to reporters following a dispute over the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Rahul Gandhi had accused the 2024 Lok Sabha and assembly elections of being "rigged" and demanded Kumar's immediate resignation, alleging that the electoral process had been compromised. The Congress leader also accused the Election Commission of failing to protect voters' rights and claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were involved in a conspiracy.

The Election Commission, however, rejected the suggestion that the objections raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi reflected disagreements over final decisions. The Commission stated that key decisions related to the SIR were taken unanimously by all three commissioners. They further clarified that a letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary concerning the functioning of an officer on deputation to the ECI was not related to any policy matter.