Shimla, October 14:
All India Congress Committee (AICC) spokesperson and Theog MLA Kuldeep Singh Rathore alleged that the BJP had undermined the impartiality of the Election Commission and compromised its constitutional credibility.
Addressing a meeting of the Block Congress Committee in Kotgarh on Tuesday, Rathore said that depriving more than 130 million voters of their voting rights in the name of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) amounted to undermining the country’s democratic system and violating the Constitution. He accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of colluding with the BJP in alleged vote theft and demanded that a case of treason be registered against him and that he be removed from office.
Rathore said Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was fighting a major battle to protect democracy and the Constitution. He called upon people across the country and Himachal Pradesh to support this struggle. Alleging that the Election Commission was acting at the BJP’s behest, he said destabilising elected opposition governments had been a consistent BJP strategy and accused the party of now undermining the democratic system through alleged vote theft.
He urged people to exercise their voting rights responsibly, remain aware of their democratic rights and work collectively to strengthen the Congress party.
Shimla Rural District Congress Committee president Hari krishan Himral said that, following the directions of the AICC and under the guidance of Himachal Pradesh Congress president Vinay Kumar, a special awareness campaign was being conducted across the state against alleged vote theft by the BJP.
Thanking Rathore for attending the meeting, Himral said the Shimla Rural Congress Committee would organise awareness programmes and protests against alleged vote theft in all its blocks.
Former Shimla Rural DCC president Sudhir Bhaik, Theog BCC president Sanjay Sharma, Mamta Thakur, Bhupender Kaushal, Prem Kaithla, Majendra Rajta, Kritika Negi, Naveen Kalta, Satish Bhaik, Meera Sharma, Sangeeta, Ranjana, Sanjeev, Krishan Pal, Tek Chand Bhaik, Rupesh Kanwar, Prakash Sharma, Sandeep Bhardwaj, Gyan Geta, Sheetal Bhaik, Lal Chand Chandel, Sharmila Bhaik, Ghanshyam and several other party office-bearers and workers attended the meeting and protest.
Later, a delegation led by Himral submitted a memorandum addressed to the President of India through the Kotgarh Tehsildar, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
