DMK seeks CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s removal, rules out joint protests with Congress

CHENNAI: Escalating its attack on the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the DMK parliamentary party meeting on Saturday adopted a resolution demanding the immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and an investigation into his role. It also resolved to support the CJP's protest demanding Kumar's immediate removal and the withdrawal of the SIR, and condemned the police crackdown on youth protesters at Jantar Mantar. The DMK launched a sharp attack on its former ally, Congress, branding it a “habitual backstabber” that takes credit for others' work and betrays its allies. These positions were part of four resolutions adopted at the meeting chaired by DMK president and former chief minister M K Stalin at the party headquarters, Arivalayam.

The party declared that it would not join any joint political action with Congress, accusing it of “double standards” for opposing the SIR at the national level while remaining silent on its selective impact across states. The DMK cited the deletion of more than 97 lakh voters from Tamil Nadu's electoral rolls during the revision exercise. The DMK also accused Vijay's TVK of double standards, citing reports linking voter deletions in Tamil Nadu to the party's electoral gains. It questioned TVK chief and chief minister C Joseph Vijay's refusal to criticise the BJP or Gyanesh Kumar and alleged an “under-the-table nexus” between the ruling party in Tamil Nadu and the BJP-led dispensation at the Centre. Seeking to restore public faith in democracy, DMK MPs, led by Stalin, will petition President Droupadi Murmu, pressing for two key demands.