Patna : Members of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) staged a march towards Lok Bhavan in Patna on Tuesday, protesting against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The protesters raised slogans against the Central government and the Election Commission of India, demanding that the revision process be cancelled. They also called for accountability over the alleged deletion of names from voter lists.
The march was organised amid objections raised by AISA over the conduct of the revision exercise and its potential impact on eligible voters.
Protesters Breach Barricades Near Gandhi Maidan
Police had erected barricades near Gandhi Maidan to stop the march from proceeding towards Lok Bhavan. However, protesters attempted to move forward and broke through the barricades.
Police subsequently detained several demonstrators. The confrontation created a tense situation at the protest site as participants continued raising slogans against the government and the Election Commission.
The march had been announced as part of AISA’s campaign against the SIR process and its demand for the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner.
AISA Alleges Large-Scale Voter Deletions
AISA alleged that the revision exercise had resulted in the removal of names belonging to thousands of eligible and living voters. The organisation called for the process to be cancelled and demanded an impartial examination of the alleged deletions.
The organisation said the issue concerned voters’ rights and electoral transparency. It also questioned the accountability of election officials involved in the revision process.
These claims represent AISA’s allegations; the scale and circumstances of the alleged deletions were not independently established in the reported account.
Demand For Gyanesh Kumar’s Resignation
During the march, AISA reiterated its demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and called for legal action over the alleged irregularities.
The organisation argued that the Election Commission should explain how names were removed from electoral rolls and ensure that eligible voters were not excluded from the electoral process.
Protesters also demanded the cancellation of the SIR exercise and greater transparency in the preparation and revision of voter lists.
AISA Raises Demands Over Bihar And Bengal Elections
The organisation also called for the cancellation of elections in Bihar and West Bengal, describing them as allegedly fraudulent. It further demanded that action against protesters be stopped.
These were demands raised by AISA during the demonstration and should be distinguished from established findings about the conduct of elections.
The march formed part of the organisation’s wider protest against the electoral-roll revision process and what it described as threats to democratic rights.
Electoral Roll Revision Remains At The Centre Of Protest
The Patna demonstration brought AISA’s objections to the SIR process into focus, with the organisation seeking cancellation of the exercise, an inquiry into alleged voter deletions and the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner.
Police detained several demonstrators after protesters breached the barricades near Gandhi Maidan. The reported account did not specify the total number of people detained.
AISA’s allegations regarding voter deletions and electoral irregularities remain claims by the organisation and would require examination against official records and relevant evidence.
