Gyanesh Kumar Has Lost Legitimacy to Continue as CEC, Says Pinarayi Vijayan

Kozhikode: The country has already decided that Gyanesh Kumar is not fit to continue as Chief Election Commissioner and days of intense protests are ahead, CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan said. He was speaking after inaugurating a public meeting organised in connection with the CPI(M) Kozhikode district committee's extended meeting.

Pinarayi Vijayan said Gyanesh Kumar's actions were undemocratic and alleged that an attempt was being made through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to remove crores of voters from the electoral rolls.

He alleged that several things that should not have happened as part of the SIR had taken place. He said Gyanesh Kumar was taking decisions favourable to the RSS and that several allegations were already pending against him. He claimed that Gyanesh Kumar was acceptable to the RSS and BJP in every way and that the Central government wanted someone who would implement what it desired. This, he alleged, was why the Centre appointed Gyanesh Kumar as Chief Election Commissioner.

Earlier, the Election Commission was constituted through a committee that included the Chief Justice of India. However, the Central government subsequently formed a committee excluding the Chief Justice of India. Pinarayi alleged that the Centre was attempting to use the new arrangement to appoint a person of its choice.

He said the country had already decided that Gyanesh Kumar was not fit to continue as Chief Election Commissioner and that the protests emerging across the country were evidence of this. He said people who believe in democracy, including students and young people, were joining the protests. He added that the country was heading towards days of intense protests.

The former Chief Minister said the BJP's belief that it could protect Gyanesh Kumar would not succeed. He said the SFI and DYFI, among others, were organising strong protests in the national capital. Democratic parties across the country, particularly Left parties, had expressed solidarity with and support for the protests, he said.

Pinarayi Vijayan also criticised the police action against Left leaders who participated in the protests, including CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby and senior leader Brinda Karat. He alleged that students who participated in the agitation were subjected to severe police action and described the situation in the national capital as a "terrible police crackdown". He said the Supreme Court itself had responded to the police action.

He further stated that the Congress had raised objections to such measures at the Centre. Meanwhile, Keralam's Chief Minister V D Satheesan, who is also a member of Congress has been adopting the same approach in Keralam as the BJP at the Centre.

He further alleged that the UDF government led by Satheesan was implementing the RSS agenda in Keralam on various issues. Pinarayi Vijayan said the government was aligning itself with the BJP on issues including Vande Mataram, PM SHRI and attempts at saffronisation of universities.