Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party, has said there is no point in taking part in India’s coming elections as long as Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar remains in his post. He alleged that there are serious questions about how free and fair elections can be while Kumar is in charge.
He even claimed that election results are decided in advance. Dipke made the remarks while speaking to journalists on Monday in Pune, Maharashtra, where he stood beside protesting job-seekers. They have been protesting over allegations of repeated question paper leaks and irregularities in various examinations of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission.
Dipke said that until Gyanesh Kumar resigns and free and fair elections are ensured in the country, taking part in such elections is meaningless, because who will win is settled beforehand.
He also alleged that the BJP is winning in some Indian states where the party did not win even at the height of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity, and raised questions about that too.
The job-seekers protesting in Pune allege that question papers have been leaked repeatedly in various examinations, harming a huge number of candidates. The protesters have demanded that the Maharashtra government step in.
The Cockroach Janata Party founder voiced support for the movement, and for Nationalist Congress Party leader Rohit Pawar, who is leading it.
In a message on social media, Dipke said he supported all the Maharashtra Public Service Commission candidates and those leading the movement for their rights. He claimed that more than 20 lakh candidates had been affected by the repeated paper leaks.
He added that the candidates are demanding the resignation of the commission’s chairman. The protesters have also demanded an impartial investigation into the serious allegations of paper leaks and action against those responsible.
A section of India’s opposition parties and civic organisations has long raised allegations against the Election Commission led by Gyanesh Kumar, with debate continuing in particular over the revision of voter lists and the way elections are conducted. Dipke’s remarks have stirred fresh political debate: questioning the commission’s neutrality, he directly demanded the chief election commissioner’s resignation.
No immediate reaction to Dipke’s remarks was available from the Election Commission or the BJP.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report