Rahul Gandhi should not mislead people or malign EC, says Minister Ramdas Athawale

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the INDIA Bloc's protest, saying there should be no politics over the Election Commission and accusing Gandhi of misleading people.

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday criticised Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over the INDIA Bloc's protest against the Election Commission, saying that the Congress MP should not mislead people or “malign” the poll panel. Speaking in Delhi, Athawale said, “I feel it is not right for Rahul Gandhi to mislead people. It is not right for Rahul Gandhi to spread anarchy in the country by staging such protests, nor is it right to malign the Election Commission.”

“I feel there should be no politics over this issue,” he added. Athawale's remarks came on a day when several INDIA Bloc leaders and MPs marched from the Parliament area towards the Election Commission headquarters in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and raising objections to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The march was stopped by police barricades, following which opposition leaders staged a protest near the Akashvani Bhawan area. Several opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress leaders, were detained during the protest. Rahul Gandhi also climbed a police barricade during the demonstration and later continued the protest along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at the Akashvani Bhawan premises. Gandhi has demanded the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the opposition's concerns regarding the electoral-roll revision.

The INDIA Bloc has been demanding that the SIR exercise be scrapped, that names allegedly deleted from electoral rolls be restored and that Gyanesh Kumar step down as Chief Election Commissioner. The opposition has also raised concerns over changes to voter-related forms and the functioning of the Election Commission. The protest comes amid a wider political dispute over the SIR exercise and allegations of irregularities in electoral rolls. The Election Commission has rejected allegations of wrongdoing and has maintained that the revision is being conducted through the prescribed legal and electoral framework. (ANI)