Chetan Pawar Turns Up Heat on SIR, Demands Gyanesh Kumar’s Dismissal and Arrest

• Sena (UBT) city chief leads protest in Pimpri, targets Election Commission over SIR process

Pimpri-Chinchwad : The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Sunday staged a protest against the Election Commission at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Chowk in Pimpri, alleging that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was undermining the democratic process.

The protest was led by Shiv Sena (UBT) Pimpri-Chinchwad city chief Chetan Pawar. Party workers raised slogans against the SIR process and criticised the functioning of the Election Commission. They demanded that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar be removed from office and face legal action.

“SIR is being used to undermine democracy. Gyanesh Kumar has centralised powers in his hands and a case should be registered against him,” Pawar said.

Pawar alleged that decisions of the Election Commission were being taken without adequate consensus and claimed that powers relating to electoral rolls were being centralised through a centralised software system, thereby reducing the role of states.

He also alleged that the move to centralise the electoral-roll system was against democratic principles and claimed that Kumar was acting in the interests of the ruling establishment.

Pawar said electoral rolls were earlier revised through the Special Summary Revision (SSR) process, but the SIR mechanism had now been introduced. He demanded that the SIR process be scrapped, alleging that it could adversely affect the rights of ordinary voters.

He further said the party’s campaign against SIR would now move to Mumbai. A joint march led by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray is scheduled to be held in Mumbai on October 4. Pawar appealed to other political parties to participate in the march.

He reiterated the demand for legal action against Kumar, along with his immediate resignation and removal from office.

Former MLA Gautam Chabukswar, deputy district chief Romi Sandhu, election in-charge Ashok Walke, Bhosari assembly constituency chief Anil Somvanshi, Pimpri assembly constituency chief Tushar Navale, organiser Amol Bhalekar, spokesperson Raosaheb Thorat and district organiser Anita Tutare also addressed the gathering.

Several office-bearers and party workers, including Pandurang Patil, Ganesh Aher, Parth Gurav, Kiran Dalvi, Ganesh Padule, Dilip Dandwate, Nitin Bonde, Sumit Nikalje, Sandeep Bhalke, Anil Durafe, Nathabhau Khandebharad, Shivaji Shelke, Deepak Bhakt, Sachin Kundoswar, Kalpana Shete, Gauri Ghante, Jyoti Bhalke, Baby Sayyed and Vaishali Kulthe participated in the protest.