Bengaluru, 28 September

Congress workers staged protests in several parts of Karnataka on Monday demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

In Mangaluru, the Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee organised a foot march from Mahaveer Circle in Pumpwell to the Deputy Commissioner's office at Padil, followed by a protest meeting.

In Chitradurga, Congress workers staged a protest wearing black bands and demanded Kumar's removal, alleging misuse of authority.

In Vijayapura, a rally led by the Industries Minister MB Patil was held, where protesters burned an effigy of Kumar and submitted a memorandum addressed to the President through the Deputy Commissioner.

In Kalaburagi, the District Congress Committee organised a march, condemning what it called Kumar's unilateral decisions. Congress MLC Jagadev Guttedar participated in the protest.

In Mandya, Congress workers protested under the leadership of District Congress president Kumar Koppa. They raised slogans and demanded an end to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Patil alleged that objection applications had been filed against 1,372 voters in Babaleshwar constituency and claimed that seven or eight persons had submitted applications in bulk seeking deletion of voters' names before withdrawing them. 

In Bengaluru, Congress state president BK Hariprasad also targeted Kumar and the Election Commission over electoral rolls, alleging that names of 50 lakh people had been removed.

He alleged that minorities, Dalits and poor people were being left out of electoral rolls and claimed that Booth Level Officers were not visiting slums and certain minorities during verification.

Hariprasad also called upon Congress workers to continue protests, saying protecting the Constitution should be their "first responsibility" as party workers.