Reported by: Mrinal Banik
Agartala: Tripura Pradesh Congress Seva Dal on Thursday organised a sit-in here in Agartala, demanding the resignation and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and alleging electoral malpractice, denial of democratic rights and weakening of constitutional institutions.
Tripura Pradesh Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha, MLA and CWC member Sudip Roy Barman, MLA Gopal Chandra Roy and other party leaders and workers attended the programme.
Saha alleged that the electoral environment in Tripura had deteriorated since 2018 and claimed that voters were intimidated during elections and prevented from reaching polling stations. He also alleged that voters who exercised their franchise despite the alleged intimidation were attacked or harassed before and after polling.
He further alleged that ruling party-backed groups and others had prevented voters from exercising their franchise in various elections and that booth capturing had influenced electoral outcomes.
Congress leaders claimed that elections ranging from panchayat and ADC polls to village council and Lok Sabha elections had not reflected the actual public mandate.
Saha also criticised recent remarks by Chief Minister Manik Saha, alleging that the chief minister had defended the role of the Chief Election Commissioner while directing allegations towards opposition parties.
Congress leaders claimed that instead of ordering an impartial inquiry into allegations against the Election Commission, there was an attempt to shield it.
The Congress also alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls, including the deletion of names of eligible voters and inclusion of names of ineligible voters. It demanded an impartial inquiry into allegations concerning electoral rolls in various states.
The party also raised concerns over what it described as the lack of legal accountability for the Chief Election Commissioner. Saha said transparency and accountability of constitutional institutions such as the Election Commission should be ensured.
The party demanded that legal action should be possible against individuals if allegations of irregularities or abuse of power arose in the conduct of elections.
Congress leaders also raised issues concerning law and order in Tripura, unemployment, salaries of government employees and alleged corruption in various departments.
They alleged that educated unemployed people faced police restrictions when they organised protests over their demands and that opposition programmes were also subjected to administrative restrictions.