Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's Z+ security cover has been strengthened after growing protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Additional security personnel have been deployed around his New Delhi residence, the Election Commission of India headquarters and as part of his personal protection detail.
The security enhancement follows a fresh threat assessment after protests were held near Kumar’s residence in Delhi and outside his family’s residence in Agra. Hindustan Times quoted officials saying protesters had traced the location of his Delhi residence, which made the security arrangements reassessed.
Delhi Police officials also stated that Kumar had already been under Z+ protection for some time.
According to the security arrangements reported by officials, additional personnel have been deployed around the New Moti Bagh area where the CEC lives. The security at Election Commission headquarters Nirvachan Sadan on Ashoka Road has also been enhanced.
There are also personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Delhi Police and other security forces on the ground as protests continue.
Security Boost Given SIR Protests.
The development comes after four days of demonstrations targeting Kumar over the current SIR exercise. Opposition parties, student organisations and civil society groups have demanded his resignation and made allegations of electoral rolls being changed.
Protesters have questioned the removal of names from voter lists and said the exercise could affect eligible voters. The Election Commission has said the SIR process will help to correct electoral lists that are inaccurate in duplicate, ineligible and otherwise incorrect entries.
The protests have been taking place in several cities, with protests in Delhi and Mumbai. Opposition supporters and youth groups have called for Kumar’s resignation over purported irregularities in the voter-roll revision and the Election Commission and the Bharatiya Janata Party have denied allegations of political bias, the newspaper reported.
In Delhi, there have been numerous security arrangements in areas where demonstrations are taking place, and security has been increased in recent weeks as security arrangements have been tightened in areas where demonstrations have taken place.
Protesters have also been detained in recent demonstrations in Delhi, with authorities at all locations in central Delhi being closed to maintain order and restrictions are in place in parts of central Delhi to contain large crowds.
India Bloc Steps Up Opposition
Security escalation has coincided with larger political demonstrations involving the INDIA bloc. Opposition leaders, including Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, have rallied around demands for Kumar’s resignation and concerns about the SIR process.
Police have detained people and put up security around the Election Commission headquarters and central Delhi. The opposition has tried to make the issue a larger political campaign by saying the voter-roll revision needs to be more open and transparent.
At the same time, the Election Commission has defended the exercise and rejects allegations that SIR is politically motivated. A more serious dispute between opposition parties and the poll body has emerged in this context as it is now a larger dispute over the management and revision of electoral rolls.
Additional Supreme Court Proceedings Add To Focus On CEC
The security issue is also coming into focus as Supreme Court proceedings are going on regarding the Election Commission decisions taken during the SIR exercise.
There is a petition before the court that questions whether Kumar made decisions based on other Election Commission decisions without the approval of the other Election Commissioners. Papers of the proceedings said the court gave notice to the Election Commission and other parties but did not make a request for suspension or removal of Kumar in the interim.
The Supreme Court has stated that the matter needs to be taken into account based on the responses of the parties concerned. The court has also not issued an interim order halting the CEC’s functioning so the proceedings are ongoing.
The judicial process and street protests are two separate developments, but they have also given rise to a lot more scrutiny on the Election Commission and Kumar’s involvement in the SIR exercise.
What The Z+ Security Upgrade Means.
Z+ is among the highest levels of civilian security protection provided by the Indian government. As reported by Hindustan Times, Kumar’s current setup features a layered security system involving central armed police personnel and Delhi Police, along with round-the-clock personal security officers.
The latest strengthening is not necessarily the introduction of a new security category for the CEC. Instead, officials have said it is an enhancement of the existing Z+ arrangement in response to the current security assessment and protests.
The extra cover around Kumar’s house and the ECI headquarters is indicative of the authorities’ reaction to the growing number of demonstrations related to the SIR controversy. Protests by opposition groups and youth organisations are expected to continue, and security arrangements around key government and election-related locations are to be kept in check.
The SIR controversy is now raging on multiple fronts; political protests, electoral roll changes, legal processes, and more security around the country’s top election official. The Election Commission is defending the revision exercise, while opposition parties and protesting groups want to be held more accountable.
