Tripura INDIA Bloc to hold rally against SIR, seek CEC's removal on Oct 30

Agartala, Oct 24 : The Tripura unit of the INDIA Bloc will organise a protest rally in Agartala on October 30, demanding the withdrawal of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, opposition leaders said on Saturday.

The alliance will submit a memorandum to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Tripura, after the rally, CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury said at a press conference at the Agartala Press Club.

Leaders, workers and supporters of the opposition alliance will assemble at Orient Chowmuhani at 11 am before marching towards the CEO's office, he said.

Chaudhury alleged that the BJP-led central government was weakening democratic institutions and expressed concern over what he described as a decline in the neutrality of the Election Commission.

He voiced apprehension that genuine voters could be excluded from electoral rolls during the ongoing SIR exercise if adequate safeguards were not ensured. The revision, he said, had raised concerns among opposition parties over the protection of voting rights and the integrity of elections.

The INDIA Bloc's four-point charter of demands includes the removal of Kumar, withdrawal of the SIR exercise, repeal or review of provisions that the opposition believes undermine the Election Commission's independence, and opposition to legal protections granted to the Chief Election Commissioner.

Chaudhury said the proposed agitation was part of a broader campaign to safeguard democratic values and constitutional institutions.

Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee president Ashish Kumar Saha also criticised the functioning of the Election Commission, questioning the transparency of certain electoral procedures. He alleged that important decisions were being taken without adequate consideration of the views of other Election Commissioners.

Saha raised concerns over alleged voter-registration irregularities, including reports of unusually high numbers of electors registered at certain addresses and duplicate entries. He said such issues required proper scrutiny to maintain public confidence in the electoral system.

The Congress leader also expressed apprehension that changes in voter enrolment procedures and documentation requirements could adversely affect sections of the electorate.

Appealing to parties outside the INDIA Bloc and individuals committed to democratic values to join the agitation, Saha said the campaign was intended to protect citizens' voting rights rather than secure political gains.

The opposition leaders said electoral transparency, institutional independence and the protection of voting rights must remain matters of national importance.