'Did a mob ever take to the streets against any CEC before?': Pawan Khera hits back at Piyush Goyal

Congress MP and party spokesperson Pawan Khera on Tuesday launched a sharp counterattack on Union Minister Piyush Goyal over the ongoing protests against the Election Commission of India (ECI), questioning whether any Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) in the country's history had faced such widespread public opposition and a united protest march by opposition parties to the Supreme Court.

Speaking to ANI in the national capital, Khera argued that the scale of the demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar reflected the seriousness of concerns surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. His remarks came after Goyal criticised Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and challenged him to answer 10 questions concerning the electoral roll revision exercise, the functioning of the Election Commission and allegations of electoral manipulation.

𝗞𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀

Khera sought to draw attention to what he described as the unprecedented nature of the current confrontation between opposition parties and the Election Commission. He questioned whether similar protests had ever occurred against previous Chief Election Commissioners and whether the country's entire opposition had previously felt compelled to approach the Supreme Court in protest against the poll body's leadership.

"Did any Election Commissioner ever oppose one of our Chief Election Commissioners? Did a mob ever take to the streets against any CEC? Did the entire opposition ever march on foot to the Supreme Court to protest against any CEC?" Khera asked.

The Congress spokesperson suggested that the protests reflected a wider crisis of confidence in the Election Commission under its present leadership. He maintained that the concerns raised by opposition parties could not be dismissed merely as political dissatisfaction following electoral defeats.

The Congress and several other opposition parties have been demanding Kumar's resignation, alleging large-scale deletion of voters' names and what they describe as a targeted attack on citizens' democratic rights. The allegations remain contested, with the ruling BJP rejecting the opposition's accusations against the poll body.

𝗚𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗥𝗮𝗵𝘂𝗹 𝗚𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗵𝗶

Earlier on Tuesday, Goyal described Rahul Gandhi as the biggest political liability for the Congress and accused him of repeatedly contributing to the party's electoral setbacks. Addressing a press conference in Delhi, the Union Minister challenged Gandhi to respond to 10 questions relating to SIR, electoral procedures and the opposition's allegations of vote theft.

Goyal rejected the Congress's accusations against the Election Commission and questioned the credibility of its campaign. He argued that the party should examine its own electoral record instead of attributing defeats to alleged irregularities in the voting process.

The minister also criticised the opposition's demonstrations, accusing Congress leaders of encouraging disorder and undermining public confidence in constitutional institutions. He urged Gandhi to introspect rather than continue what he characterised as politically motivated attacks on the Election Commission.

Goyal's remarks were part of a broader response by BJP leaders to the opposition's campaign demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗘𝗖𝘀

During the press conference, Goyal also questioned the Congress's past associations with former Chief Election Commissioners, pointing to instances in which individuals who had held senior positions in the Election Commission subsequently entered politics or received political appointments.

He argued that the Congress could not selectively question the independence of the poll body while overlooking its own historical associations with former election officials. The minister maintained that the present criticism of the Election Commission was driven by political considerations rather than evidence of institutional misconduct.

Khera's response, however, shifted the debate towards the scale of public opposition to the current Chief Election Commissioner. By highlighting the protests and the opposition's march to the Supreme Court, he sought to argue that the present controversy was different from earlier political disagreements over electoral administration.

𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

The Congress and its INDIA bloc allies have intensified their campaign against the Election Commission over the SIR exercise, alleging that the revision of electoral rolls has resulted in the removal of large numbers of eligible voters.

Opposition leaders have demanded greater transparency in the revision process, independent scrutiny of disputed deletions and safeguards to prevent legitimate voters from being excluded. They have also sought the resignation of Kumar, accusing the poll body of failing to address their concerns adequately.

On Monday, senior opposition leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, participated in a march towards the Supreme Court as part of their campaign against the electoral roll revision exercise. The demonstration followed several days of protests in the national capital, accompanied by heightened security arrangements and restrictions on public movement.

The BJP has rejected the opposition's allegations and defended the revision exercise as part of the Election Commission's responsibility to maintain accurate electoral rolls. The dispute has consequently developed into a wider political confrontation over electoral administration, institutional independence and public confidence in the democratic process.

𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟱

The political confrontation is unfolding alongside judicial proceedings concerning the protests and the electoral roll revision exercise. The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of related petitions until October 15 because of the ill health of a member of the bench.

The court also sought the presence of a senior Delhi Police officer in connection with allegations that women journalists were assaulted while covering the demonstrations. The Centre was granted additional time to submit its compliance report concerning earlier judicial directions.

Meanwhile, Khera's remarks have intensified the verbal exchanges between the Congress and BJP, with both parties offering sharply different interpretations of the protests. While the Congress portrays the demonstrations as evidence of public concern over electoral integrity, the BJP maintains that the opposition is attempting to discredit the Election Commission for political reasons.

The continuing dispute places the conduct of the electoral roll revision exercise and the accountability of the Election Commission at the centre of a confrontation involving the government, opposition parties and the judiciary.