Agitation against CEC will go on till he is removed: Venugopal
‘We will withdraw from this agitation only after Gyanesh Kumar is removed from the post and steps are taken to make India's electoral system and processes flawless, impartial and fair,’ said K.C. Venugopal
K.C. Venugopal, Alappuzha AICC general secretary, warned on Sunday (November 29) that the Congress-led agitation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar would persist until his removal from office and a more transparent electoral system was established. Kumar is set to soon resign, Venugopal claimed. Demonstrations are ongoing across various regions with only a brief respite anticipated during Deepavali.
The congress party's protest in New Delhi on November 1 was described as one of the most potent protests witnessed in the country. Venugopal accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of being targeted by the party. Venugopal alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner position was a reward for Kumar's loyalty to the BJP when he was still employed.
He criticized the deletion of names from electoral rolls as depriving poor people of their voting rights and access to government benefits, which are increasingly tied to voter ID cards. The Congress will launch a nationwide campaign called "Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao" (Save the Vote, Save the Nation) at the panchayat level over the next one and a half months.
Volunteers will be appointed as "Vote Rakshaks" (voter protectors) at polling booths to verify electoral rolls, identify people with deleted names, and assist them in restoring their registrations. The issue will be heavily discussed during the upcoming Parliament session, Venugopal said, as the Opposition plans to address recent controversies and issues affecting the public.
Regarding the functioning of the Kerala government, Venugopal stated that it is competent and will address the concerns raised against it. He noted that isolated incidents and administrative errors are unavoidable but will be dealt with appropriately. Venugopal defended the government's response to allegations involving Excise Minister M. Liju, stating that political representatives know people in their constituencies and the government agreed to investigate the complaint.
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