SIR vital for fair polls, says Rekha Gupta

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta emphasized on Monday that India's democracy cannot be compromised for political convenience, particularly in light of ongoing protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Gupta backed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, stressing the importance of accurate voter rolls, transparent procedures, and strong institutions for free and fair elections.

The opposition, including the Congress party, has called for Kumar's resignation, alleging mass vote deletions and other irregularities in the SIR process. Gupta criticized the opposition's selective respect for democracy and institutions, stating that they invoke democracy only when it benefits their politics. The SIR is currently underway in Delhi, with over 47 lakh names removed from the draft electoral rolls of 70 Assembly constituencies.

The opposition, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, has marched to the Supreme Court demanding Kumar's removal. Former civil servants and diplomats have defended the Election Commission (EC) and the SIR process, highlighting that a system cannot be honest when it favors one party's victory and is rigged against the other. They noted that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Center lost assembly polls in several states during the same EC tenure without raising any complaints, and the ruling party did not face any rigging allegations.