The Dimapur District Congress Committee on Saturday staged a protest march in Dimapur under the banner of “Save Democracy”, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Addressing media persons, Working President of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC), Apok Jamir, alleged that the SIR exercise had infringed upon the democratic and constitutional rights of citizens and demanded Kumar’s immediate resignation.

Jamir claimed that more than 13 crore names had been “eliminated” from electoral rolls during the revision exercise and alleged that the development amounted to an infringement of citizens’ voting rights. The Election Commission, however, has disputed the characterisation of the figure as 13 crore confirmed deletions, stating that the draft-stage figure includes electors classified as absent, shifted, dead or duplicate, with provisions for claims and objections before the final electoral rolls are prepared.

Jamir said the Congress protest was aimed at seeking accountability from the Election Commission and ensuring that citizens’ constitutional and electoral rights were protected. The Congress has been conducting protests in several districts of Nagaland as part of its nationwide campaign against the SIR exercise and has demanded the resignation and removal of the CEC.

On the shifting of allegiance by elected legislators and councillors in Nagaland, Jamir described the development as “poaching”, alleging that elected representatives had changed their political affiliation due to “coercion”, “pressure” or “enticement”. He said the electorate would ultimately judge such decisions at the time of elections.

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Asked what the Congress would do if the CEC did not resign, Jamir said the issue had become a nationwide movement and that the party would continue to press its demand.

“If he thinks that his conscience permits, agrees to the fact that he has committed a crime against the people then he should resign immediately,” he said.

Responding to Nagaland BJP president Benjamin Yepthomi’s challenge to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to produce facts and figures backing allegations of “vote chori”, Jamir said the Congress had documentation to support its allegations.

He maintained that the phrase “vote chori” was not merely a slogan and claimed that the All India Congress Committee had facts and figures that could be presented when required.

Jamir further alleged that ordinary citizens were being affected most by what he described as the loss of voting rights, stressing that the electorate’s franchise was central to the functioning of a democratic system.