Protests and Detentions in Tamil Nadu Demanding Arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar

According to reports by Hindustan Times and India Today, tension erupted in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, on Wednesday when members of 'Jananaika Meetpu Kuzhu' staged a 'Rail Roko' agitation near the old railway station, demanding the arrest of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The protest saw participation from members of Makkal Mandram, the Communist Party of India, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, and independent social activists, leading to unrest in the area for approximately one hour. In view of the demonstration, a heavy contingent of police and railway security personnel was deployed in the region.

More than 350 protesters marched from Hotel Tamil Nadu towards the old railway station, where clashes broke out between the police and protesters as officials attempted to stop them. Breaking through police barricades, over 50 protesters sat on the railway tracks and raised slogans against the Prime Minister and the Election Commission, reiterating their demand for the arrest of the Chief Election Commissioner. The protesters alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner worked in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by disqualifying 13 crore voters. Subsequently, the police detained all the protesters and kept them at a private marriage hall.

Earlier, on October 17, the DMK parliamentary party passed a resolution demanding the immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar from office and an investigation into his conduct. The resolution was passed during a meeting held at the Murasoli Maran Meeting Hall located at the party headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, under the leadership of DMK President and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. According to the DMK resolution, party MPs, under Stalin's guidance, will submit a formal petition to the President of India demanding two major electoral reforms. These demands include the immediate and complete cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and the conduct of all future elections with pre-SIR electoral rolls, as well as the reintroduction of the traditional paper ballot system instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to restore public confidence in the electoral process.

Meanwhile, according to reports by India Today and The Times of India, a large protest was organised by leaders of the 'INDIA' alliance and the Karnataka Congress at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, Karnataka, against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the issue of Special Intensive Revision (SIR). During this protest, a mock arrest was staged on the streets, where a protester stood wearing handcuffs and a mask of Gyanesh Kumar, accompanied by an actor dressed as a policeman. To allege a political alliance with the RSS, the protesters moved the person wearing khaki shorts to a fake jail setup and conducted a parade. Senior Karnataka Congress leaders, including Dinesh Gundu Rao, participated in this street protest. Party representatives stated that this demonstration was part of a previous opposition rally held on November 1 at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, which demanded the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner and the cancellation of the SIR.