INDIA bloc leaders hold protest, demand CEC's resignation over SIR 'irregularities'

Patna: INDIA bloc leaders, led by RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, took out a march here on Thursday against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise.

They started the protest march from Shaheed Smarak in front of the state assembly and headed towards the Lok Bhavan but were stopped by police near the office of the chief electoral officer, police said.

"As they attempted to breach security barricades, the police bundled them into a vehicle and took them to the Lok Bhavan," a senior officer said.


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Former CPI (ML) Liberation MLA Ajit Kushwaha fainted during the demonstration.

The agitation, branded as 'Aakrosh March', is centred around the demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

"We are not allowed to meet the governor. They (NDA leaders) are destroying democracy," Tejashwi Yadav told reporters when he was being taken to a police vehicle.

Several RJD leaders, including MLAs, climbed atop the police vehicle in which Yadav was being taken.

Talking to PTI, Patna SSP Kartikeya Sharma said, "Tejashwi Yadav was not detained. He and several other leaders were taken to Bihar Lok Bhavan in a police vehicle. However, some other INDIA bloc leaders were detained from the spot."

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Yadav alleged, "To save Gyanesh Kumar, barricades have been erected everywhere. No matter how much the administration tries to save him, people will definitely punish 'vote chors' (vote thieves). These people have toyed with the idea of democracy and conspired to end it."

The administration was "completely scared because those sitting in power came through fraudulent means by stealing votes", he claimed.