Gyanesh Gaddar: Youth Congress workers deface CEC's Agra residence

Congress has been demanding Kumar's resignation amid a row over the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

In Short

• Protesters demand Kumar's resignation over SIR row
• Youth Congress accuse Kumar of election manipulation
• Protests follow reports of EC disagreements over SIR exercise

Youth Congress workers defaced the gate and walls of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s residence in Agra with black spray paint on Monday, writing slogans calling him a traitor and a vote thief.

The incident took place during nationwide Congress protests demanding Kumar’s resignation amid a row over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

A video posted on the Youth Congress’s official X account showed workers spray-painting “Gyanesh Gaddar” (Gyanesh is a traitor) and “Vote Chor” (vote thief) on the property as protesters outside shouted “Gyanesh Kumar chor hai” (Gyanesh Kumar is a thief) and “Gyanesh Kumar murdabad” (Down with Gyanesh Kumar).

In the post, the party’s youth wing accused Kumar of working with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to manipulate elections. The outfit added that it would seek punishment for the Chief Election Commissioner.

The allegations have not been established, and Kumar has not responded to the incident.

The protests follow an Indian Express report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded objections to decisions on electoral rolls 14 times between October 2025 and August 2026.

The reported disagreements concerned SIR, voter enrolment and deletion, appeals, and access to the Commission’s voter data software.

The Election Commission has said differences of opinion are part of its deliberations and that all three members approved its final decisions, including those on SIR, unanimously.

Separately, reports said the Commission had not held a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls since the 2024 cycle. Congress criticised the delay, saying newly eligible voters had lost an opportunity to enrol through the exercise.

- Ends