Bengaluru lawyers demand CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation
CH NEWS, BENGALURU Lawyers staged a protest outside Gate 1 of the Karnataka High Court in Bengaluru on Tuesday, opposing the arrests of lawyers and students during a demonstration in Delhi demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The protesters raised concerns over allegations of voters' names being deleted from electoral rolls and police action against demonstrators. They called for the protection of voting rights and the independence of constitutional institutions. Lawyers Raise Concerns Over Electoral Process Lawyer S. Balan accused the Chief Election Commissioner of misusing his constitutional position and alleged that citizens were being deprived of their voting rights. He questioned the statements made to the Supreme Court regarding Form 6 and claimed that Form 7 was being used to target minority communities. He demanded legal action against Kumar and called for his removal. Balan also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over alleged political interference in constitutional institutions. Protesters Condemn Police Action Lawyer and legal activist Narasimhamurthy condemned the alleged police action against lawyers, students and journalists. He said attacks on legal and media professionals were unacceptable and referred to previous arrests of activists, including G.N. Saibaba and Father Stan Swamy, as well as cases linked to Bhima Koregaon. Appeal For Supreme Court Intervention M. Muniyappa, president of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Lawyers' Association, expressed concern over alleged deletions from electoral rolls and urged the Supreme Court to investigate the matter. He called on lawyers' associations and civil society organisations to join a wider movement to protect democratic rights. He also demanded a review of the 2023 law governing appointments to the Election Commission to safeguard its independence. Muniyappa criticised the arrests of protesters in Delhi and the removal of students demonstrating at Freedom Park in Bengaluru. He announced plans to lead a delegation to submit a memorandum to the Governor, seeking intervention to protect voting rights and ensure the integrity of the electoral process. The allegations raised during the protest remain subject to verification.
