NCP (SP) workers stage protest in Thane, burn replica of Election Commission emblem

Thane, Aug 11 (PTI) Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) workers, led by its general secretary Jitendra Awhad, held a symbolic burning of the Election Commission (EC)'s emblem outside the party office in Thane city during a protest on Monday.

During the protest, which drew several senior party functionaries and workers, the Opposition NCP (SP) accused the poll body of "destroying the country's democracy" and acting in collusion with the ruling BJP.

Addressing a gathering at the site, Awhad, the MLA from Mumbra-Kalwa in Thane district, accused the EC of facilitating "vote theft" during recent elections.

The NCP (SP)'s stir coincided with Opposition MPs' protest march from Parliament House to the EC head office in New Delhi on the "vote theft" issue.

"The Election Commission has ruined the country's democracy. In the Lok Sabha elections, lakhs of bogus voters were shown, and the voter count suddenly increased by 15 per cent in the last hour. This is nothing, but organized vote stealing," Awhad alleged.

"In line with the protest in New Delhi and elsewhere, we have taken to the streets in Thane to protect the Constitution," the former Maharashtra minister opined, referring to the anti-EC march in the national capital where Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge (both Congress) and Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP) were detained by police.

He accused the EC of fabricating voter rolls and said "They have shown that 80 people of different castes and religions live in the same house. One man is listed as the father of 43 children. Is this even possible?".

Awhad criticized the Centre for bypassing the Supreme Court's directive to include the Chief Justice of India in the high-powered selection committee to appoint Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs).

The protesting NCP (SP) workers shouted slogans against the EC and torched a replica of the commission's symbol.

The Sharad Pawar-led party vowed to continue its agitation until "electoral integrity and democratic principles" are restored in the country. PTI COR RSY