Lucknow: Congress workers, including UP in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam, state unit president Ajay Rai and Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhana Mishra ‘Mona’, were detained on Friday following a march toward the office of UP chief electoral officer.The demonstration was part of the party’s nationwide agitation alleging manipulation of electoral rolls and partisan functioning by the Election Commission of India.Braving heavy rain, Congress workers marched from the state party headquarters at Mall Avenue, raising slogans against CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the BJP. Heavy police barricades set up near the Sunni Waqf Board halted the rally, resulting in brief scuffles between party cadres and police personnel.Demonstrators were subsequently detained, taken in buses to Eco Garden and released later in the evening.Speaking to reporters, AICC in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam demanded the CEC’s immediate resignation and strict legal action. “Gyanesh Kumar is acting like a ‘B-team’ of the BJP. Powers vested by the Constitution are being misused to help the ruling party win elections. Votes are being stolen with his assistance. This is a betrayal of the Constitution, which mandates free and fair elections,” Gautam said.Rai said the party’s stance on the poll body’s alleged bias stood vindicated. “Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has consistently warned that govt is seeking to capture institutions and undermine democracy. Under govt pressure, the commission has worked in an authoritarian manner to benefit the BJP through arbitrary additions and deletions in voter lists. The CEC must step down immediately; our struggle will continue until he is removed,” Rai said.
