New Delhi: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Monday decided to take its fight to every state across the country, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, the rollback of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and repeal of the law governing appointments of the election commissioners.
In an exclusive interview with Gautam Debroy, CPI (M) general secretary MA Baby said his party will take the initiative to form a mega platform comprising left and democratic parties, educational institutions, intellectuals, cultural personalities to fight against the barbaric attitude of the central government. Here are the excerpts of the interview:
We are witnessing the ongoing protest in the national capital demanding removal of the chief election commissioner. How will you take it forward?
MA Baby: The government can put up barricades, use security forces besides using pellet guns against peaceful protestors, but the government can’t stop them. The Left parties and other democratic institutions, intellectuals, cultural personalities will come together. We will form a big platform to fight against the barbaric attitude of the Central government.
I am also attending an India Block meeting today in New Delhi. We expect all like-minded democratic parties to come together and initiate a nationwide movement against “vote chori”. We will mobilize all our student organizations, workers' unions, trade bodies and others to start a joint fight.
We have seen several former chief ministers being detained by the security forces in New Delhi?
MA Baby: Yes, two of our former Chief Ministers of Kerala and Tripura- Pinarayi Vijayan and Manik Sarkar have been detained by the barbaric Delhi police. They were confined to police vehicles for hours. They were denied food and water and were not even allowed to take essential medications.
Delhi police arrested hundreds of leaders of political parties, civil society organisations, students and youth. Almost the entire leadership of the CPI (M) was taken into police custody. Many of those arrested were roughed up and manhandled by the police, leading to injuries to some, including Polit Bureau member Tapan Sen and MP Sivadasan, John Brittas.
We demand that the Delhi Police and the Union government stop intimidating and harassing prospective participants and refrain from arbitrary detention of people. It should not put hurdles and permit people to proceed with their democratic rights.
The government said that the protestors were involved in violation of law and order?MA Baby: The measures taken by the Delhi Police under directions from the Union Home Ministry are the most brutal in the recent times. The fundamental right to protest has been snatched away by this government, once again revealing its authoritarian character. This is a violation of Article 19 of the Constitution. The right to assemble peacefully, express dissent and petition public authorities has become a crime under the BJP dispensation controlled by the RSS.
MA Baby: The SIR has emerged as a serious challenge to the democratic rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India. The right to vote is a fundamental expression of popular sovereignty and the foundation of representative democracy. Any process that places this right in jeopardy must be held accountable.It also raised fundamental questions not only about who authorised the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and the manner in which it is being conducted, but also about the functioning and independence of the Commission itself. The development also pertains to the illegal amendment made to Form 6.
Reports of BJP workers allegedly submitting Form 7 applications in bulk to delete the names of genuine voters have further heightened concerns about the misuse of the revision process as also the changes in the IT architecture leading to centralisation and complete violation of statutory provisions governing the role of Electoral Registration Officers.