Politics
Congress Accuses Government of Turning Democratic Bodies into Anti‑Democratic Tools, Calls for Removal of Election Commissioner
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the people of India want Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to become Prime Minister and criticised the Union government for turning democratic institutions into tools for anti‑democratic actions. Venugopal, speaking to Hindustan Times, slammed Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and called for his removal. He also criticised Home Minister Amit Shah for saying the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha could only take the role in a mock Parliament. Venugopal said the opposition protests against the CEC are part of a broader effort to restore democracy, protect voting rights, and uphold the Constitution. He said the Congress and its alliance partners are coordinating a nationwide agitation that includes civil society, students, youth and farmers, and that the movement will continue until Gyanesh Kumar is removed. The party also called for revoking the 2023 legislation that grants immunity to the Chief Election Commissioner. Venugopal added that the government’s failure to convene Parliament for 82 days and its attempts to split parties were damaging to democracy. He reiterated that the primary goal of the INDIA bloc is to restore democracy, not merely to form a government. The Congress welcomes anyone who wants to join the movement to restore the fundamental right of ordinary people to vote. The article was written by Saubhadra Chatterji, Deputy Political Editor, Hindustan Times.