Patna, Sep 24 (IANS) Amid the ongoing controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Vikassheel Insaan Party chief Mukesh Sahani on Thursday made a controversial remark against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, saying he would have shot him if he were permitted to get away with one murder.

Sahani was speaking about his allegations against the Election Commission and its handling of the electoral roll revision exercise.

“What can I do? They are destroying democracy. They are destroying the democracy envisioned by BR Ambedkar. These elections are not for any leader; that is their misunderstanding. Elections are for the citizens,” Sahani said.

“The citizens have the power to remove people if they are not working. When the time comes for the change, they compromise the ECI and do things in their favour. You have seen in Bengal, with the help of police personnel, 27 lakh voters were removed. They formed the government. You have seen in Bihar that, in the middle of the election, the Model Code of Conduct was imposed and Rs 10,000 was sent to people’s accounts,” he alleged.

Sahani further alleged that the Election Commission had become an extension of the BJP.

“So, this ECI has become the Election Commission of the BJP. I want to tell Gyanesh Kumar that not every day is the same. You should have some shame… you are playing with the Constitution of India. If I were forgiven for one murder, I would have shot Gyanesh Kumar first,” he said.

However, Sahani said he would abide by the Constitution and claimed that action would be taken against Kumar in the future.

“But what can I do? I obey the Constitution. But he will not be spared in the coming times. In 2029, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, the government will be formed, and he will be among the first to go to jail, along with those who have committed such acts. It would be another matter if they do so before that,” he said.

Sahani also questioned the need for elections if, according to him, the electoral process was being manipulated.

“They are playing with the future. If you have to do all these things, then why are you holding elections? Stop holding elections because you are spending too much. If you are taking the mandate in your favour, then why are you conducting elections?” he said.

His remarks came amid reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on at least 14 occasions over a 10-month period concerning decisions and processes related to electoral rolls and the SIR exercise.

The reported objections included issues concerning the addition, deletion and restoration of voters’ names, changes to Form 6 and the handling and management of electoral roll data.

The Election Commission, however, has maintained that all decisions, including those related to the SIR, were taken unanimously with the approval of all three Election Commissioners. It also said that individual views or observations during deliberations do not constitute separate decisions of the Commission.

–IANS

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