Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Congress organised a protest march in Lucknow as part of the party’s nationwide campaign against alleged irregularities in the electoral roll revision process and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists.
The march was led by AICC in-charge for Uttar Pradesh Rajendra Pal Gautam and UP Congress president Ajay Rai. Despite heavy rain, a large number of Congress leaders and workers marched from the Pradesh Congress headquarters towards the Chief Electoral Officer’s office at Janpath Market, raising slogans demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The protesters were stopped near the Sunni Waqf Board area, where police had put up barricades. Congress leaders said there was a scuffle with police personnel during the attempt to proceed further. Several senior leaders and party workers, including Gautam, Rai and Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhana Mishra, were detained and taken to Eco Garden. They were released later in the evening.
Addressing the protesters, Rajendra Pal Gautam alleged that the Election Commission was not functioning independently and accused the Chief Election Commissioner of favouring the BJP. He demanded Kumar’s immediate resignation and action against him.
Ajay Rai alleged that the Congress had repeatedly raised concerns over voter-list changes, including the addition of names, deletion of eligible voters and alleged irregularities in Form 6 applications. He claimed that the SIR process required greater transparency and accountability.
Rai said the Election Commission is a constitutional and independent institution and called for corrective action wherever irregularities are established. He added that the Congress would continue its campaign on the issue.
The protest was attended by several Congress leaders, including MPs Tanuj Punia and Rakesh Rathore, former MPs P.L. Punia and Kunwar Danish Ali, former state president Brijlal Khabri, AICC spokesperson Abhay Dubey and several former legislators, office-bearers and district-level leaders.
Congress workers from different districts also participated in the demonstration despite the continuing rain.
