Congress to continue agitation against CEC until his removal: K.C. Venugopal

• Congress leader K.C. Venugopal said the party would continue nationwide protests demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s removal and electoral reforms

• The Congress will launch its 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao' campaign over the next six weeks, appointing booth-level guardians to identify deleted voter names and help restore them

• Venugopal said electoral issues would be raised in Parliament, defended the Keralam government and backed an inquiry into corruption allegations in the Excise Department

Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal on Sunday said the party would continue its nationwide agitation against chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar until he was removed from office and measures were taken to ensure an impartial and transparent electoral system.

Speaking to reporters, Venugopal said protests were being organised across states and districts, with a brief pause expected during the Diwali festival.

Describing the Congress rally held in New Delhi on November 1 as one of the strongest protests in the country, he said the party's campaign was directed against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

"We will withdraw from this agitation only after Gyanesh Kumar is removed from the post and steps are taken to make India's electoral system and processes flawless, impartial and fair. This is not a struggle that we will abandon midway," he said.

Venugopal alleged that the deletion of names from electoral rolls could deprive poor people of their voting rights and access to government benefits, which he claimed were increasingly being linked to voter identity cards.

Announcing the next phase of the agitation, he said the Congress would launch a nationwide 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao' (Save the Vote, Save the Nation) campaign at the panchayat level over the next six weeks.

Under the initiative, the party plans to appoint a 'Vote Rakshak' (guardian) at every polling booth. These representatives will examine electoral rolls, identify voters whose names have been deleted and visit their homes to assist them in restoring their names, he said.

Venugopal added that Congress units were organising programmes across states and districts, while efforts were underway to coordinate joint campaigns with other Opposition parties.

The party would also raise the issue during the upcoming Parliament session, along with other recent controversies and matters of public concern, he said.

Referring to the previous parliamentary session, Venugopal claimed that Opposition protests had prevented Amit Shah from entering the House for nearly two weeks.

On the functioning of the Keralam government, Venugopal defended the state administration, describing it as capable of addressing the concerns raised against it. He said isolated incidents and administrative shortcomings were inevitable, but appropriate action would be taken wherever necessary.

He also defended the government's handling of allegations linking excise minister M. Liju to bar owners, arguing that elected representatives routinely interact with people, including businesspersons, in their constituencies.

Commenting on allegations of corruption in the Excise Department, Venugopal said former excise commissioner Seeram Sambasiva Rao should have raised the concerns while still in office. However, he said the government had agreed to examine the complaint and take appropriate action.

With PTI inputs