‘Gyanesh Kumar deserves Padma Bhushan’: Bengal BJP chief backs CEC amid Opposition attack

As Opposition leaders step up their attack on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) row, West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya on Friday (September 25) came out in his defence, saying Kumar should get “at least the Padma Bhushan”.

Bhattacharya’s remarks came against the backdrop of Congress and other Opposition leaders demanding Kumar’s resignation after an investigative report by Indian Express highlighted the dissent of two Election Commissioners, S S Sandhu and Vikas Joshi, over the SIR process.

‘Gyanesh Kumar prevented violence’

According to Bhattacharya, Kumar deserved “at the very least, the Padma Bhushan” for conducting peaceful elections and purifying electoral rolls in the state.

Also read: ‘Turn approver or face trial’: Congress targets CEC Gyanesh Kumar over SIR, 'Mark VIP'

“The fact is, even the Congress party itself doesn’t heed Rahul Gandhi’s words; they don’t take him seriously... Gyanesh Kumar deserves, at the very least, the Padma Bhushan,” he said in Panihati near Kolkata.

Bhattacharya also credited Kumar with keeping intimidation at bay and preventing violence and political killings during the May Assembly elections in Bengal.

“The people of West Bengal are delighted that, after so long, intimidation was kept at bay. There were no incidents of murder, and people were actually allowed to cast their votes. Furthermore, in a border state like this, Gyanesh Kumar took the initiative to remove the names of Bangladeshi infiltrators from the voter lists,” he told reporters.

‘Vote theft’ allegations

Meanwhile, Congress and Trinamool Congress (TMC) have accused the BJP and Kumar of “vote theft” and called for re-elections in the state.

Following the investigation report published on Wednesday (September 23), Opposition parties have urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance and are reportedly preparing a motion notice for Kumar’s impeachment.

Also read: ‘Shah Instigated Removal’ of voters: Cong flags large-scale voter deletions in SIR

Senior Congress leader and MP Pawan Khera, on Friday (September 25), urged Kumar to either turn approver or face trial during a press conference.

The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) also marched from Raisina Road to Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, demanding Kumar’s resignation. Several protests have been organised across states, with demonstrators demanding the CEC’s removal and burning his effigy.