'Supported when they were weak, now...': Sonam Wangchuk on CJP's protest call against CEC Gyanesh Kumar

The Ladakhi activist said October 2 was a "very sacred day" as it marked the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

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Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Sunday voiced his support for the protest call given by the Cockroach Janta Party, seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Wangchuk said he had offered complete support during the Jantar Mantar protest against the NEET UG paper leak earlier this year, when the CJP was "weak", but now they have a "strong voice", which he hoped would be able to "shake up the country".

The Cockroach Janta Party, led by Abhijeet Dipke, has given a call for nationwide protests on October 2 if the CEC does not step down amid the ongoing controversy over alleged dissent within the election commission over its practices. CJP said it will launch the countrywide protest from Mumbai.

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Backing the call, Wangchuk said, "Clean election process is the biggest need of the country, and I fully support it." The activist stated the efforts to improve accountability in the country and the electoral process deserved support.

Will Sonam Wangchuk join CJP protest against CEC?

Sonam Wangchuk however said that he might not be able to take part in the protest physically. "I cannot personally take part in every movement, but I give my initial support. I gave full support to CJP at Jantar Mantar when they were weak. Now they have a strong voice, and I hope their voice shakes up the country," he was quoted as saying by new agency PTI.

The activist, who played a crucial role during the Jantar Mantar protests in July with a 26-day-long hunger strike, said, "The whole idea of supporting movements for me is that these movements are on their own. So there are many people now for that issue, and I am happy to see that, and therefore I hope I will not be needed on the CEC issue."

ALSO READ: Election commissioners’ letter to cabinet secretary concerned senior poll official, not CEC Gyanesh Kumar

The Ladakhi activist hailed October 2 as a "very sacred day" because it is the day when Mahatma Gandhi was born.

Why is CEC Gyanesh Kumar facing calls for resignation

His comments came amid a row over the functioning of the Election Commission after a report by The Indian Express claimed that election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised several objections over decisions concerning voter registration, deletions and restoration of names and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The two poll commissioners had reportedly voiced dissent officially on at least 14 occasions in the past 10 months.

Dismissing the claims, the Election Commission on Saturday asserted that all decisions relating to the SIR process were taken after the unanimous approval of all three commissioners.

(With PTI inputs)

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  Akanksha Verma is an Associate Editor at the Hindustan Times in New Delhi. With an experience of over a decade, she has led newsrooms operations and worked on digital content strategies. She is adept at covering breaking news situations and holds expertise in doing long-form explainers on national, political and geopolitical issues. Akanksha has previously worked with The Times Of India, Indian Express Online, News18.com, India Ahead and The Daily Jagran. She has written on key national and global events, including the Lok Sabha Elections, Assembly Elections, US Elections, US-Iran war, Operation Sindoor, Israel-Palestine conflict, Afghanistan conflict, Ram Temple verdict, Ladakh standoff, Abrogation of Article 370 and Demonetisation. She holds a BA (Hons) in English from Ramjas College, University of Delhi, and a Postgraduate Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Dhenkanal, Odisha. She is proficient in both English and Hindi and has earned a beginner-level certification in Korean. Beyond her newsroom responsibilities, Akanksha enjoys reading books that explore gender and social issues. She also turns to poetry as a creative outlet, writing verses whenever inspiration strikes.Read More