Amid Protests, Security Bolstered At Gyanesh Kumar's Home, Office: Sources

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has a Z+ security cover. That cover, sources say, is now being further bolstered in view of the protests against him this week, headlined by Rahul Gandhi, who holds the top poll body officer responsible for, what he calls, "vote theft".

The street protests have intensified with the Congress and Opposition INDIA bloc refusing to back down on Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The move comes after protesters reached near his residence and demonstrations were held outside his family home at another location.

Extra security has been deployed at his Delhi residence, Election Commission office and for his personal security, sources say.

Sources say there will be a 24-hour police presence around the Chief Election Commissioner's residence.

Security changes were made based on the current threat perception, sources said.

Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress and INDIA bloc would continue to take to the streets, face arrests and legal cases to "save the Constitution and democracy".

In a post on X, Gandhi said, "To save the Constitution and democracy, the Congress Party and the opposition are ready to take to the streets as many times as needed, face arrests, or endure legal cases."

The Opposition's attack on the Chief Election Commissioner comes following The Indian Express report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected on record at least 14 times over the past 10 months to decisions and orders on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process that they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.

Under fire over red flags raised by two of its commissioners, the poll body has asserted that differing views and observations are a part of deliberations in any institution and all its orders carry full legal sanction and follow established statutory procedures.

"We are not going to stop protesting till Gyanesh Kumar resigns. This is a fight to protect the most sacred thing in this country. There is nothing that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah can do that will stop us," Gandhi said.

On Wednesday, the second day of Congress protests, there were several dramatic moments in the nearly three-hour-long bus procession and an impromptu sit-in at the roundabout in front of the Shangri-La hotel when the opposition MPs were stopped by security personnel, with Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra lying flat on her back on the street, clutching a copy of the Constitution, along with other women leaders.

Rahul Gandhi kept resisting police attempts to put him inside a van for detention. The INDIA bloc leaders jostled with security personnel who tried to detain them and clear the area.

On FIR's registered against the Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, he said, "You may register as many cases as you want; we are not going to be scared."

The Cockroach Janata Party, or CJP, has called for a protest against Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar on October 10. The AAP said its protests over the issue has continued since October 2, with party leaders and workers participating in demonstrations.

Earlier, in September, Congress workers protested outside the Agra home of Gyanesh Kumar, raising slogans against him and defacing the main gate and a wall of the house with spray paint.

The protesters used spray paint to write "Gyanesh Gaddar Gyanesh Chor" -- calling the CEC a "traitor" and a "thief" -- in Hindi on the main gate and wall of the house. Visuals of the protest and the defacement were subsequently circulated on social media.