Patna: Police stopped activists of the CPI(M) and its youth and student wings at R-Block in Patna on Friday as they marched towards the State Election Commission office demanding the resignation of chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral irregularities.The protesters, including members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and Students’ Federation of India (SFI), had begun their march from the GPO roundabout. Police put up barricades at R-Block to prevent them from proceeding towards the EC office.The demonstrators, carrying the national flag and party flags, raised slogans against the EC and central govt. Their placards questioned the conduct of the electoral process and condemned police action against student groups in Delhi.Heavy police deployment was made at R-Block, the GPO roundabout, around the EC office and near the chief minister’s residence. Barricades and water cannon vehicles were deployed as police stopped the procession.The protest was part of a wider opposition agitation against alleged “vote theft” and deletion of names from electoral rolls during the special intensive revision (SIR).The protesting organisations demanded restoration of names deleted during the SIR exercise in Bihar, West Bengal and other states and Union Territories. They also questioned the role of the CEC and demanded his resignation.
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