CEC Row: Oppn Protests Against CEC Gyanesh Over SIR, But Ally TVK Stays Away From Resignation Demand

India Today

Across the national capital and various states, the INDIA bloc has mounted street demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. However, ally TVK has remained conspicuously absent from protests in Delhi and Chennai. While TVK reiterated its objection to SIR and condemned Rahul Gandhi's detention, the party has avoided backing the demand for the CEC's resignation. The stance highlights a balancing act within the alliance, as TVK maintains a measured distance despite protests led by coalition partner Congress and opposition groups in Tamil Nadu.

Transcript

00:00Let's move on now and talk about the SIR showdown.

00:03We've been seeing it play out on the streets of the national capital.

00:06The India bloc has been coming together, putting up a show of unity,

00:10where leaders, workers from across opposition parties have come to the national capital to protest against SIR.

00:17One party, however, has been missing from all of this action, the TVK.

00:22In Tamil Nadu, there was no visible TVK-led protest against the SIR.

00:26Now, yes, the TVK doesn't have any members of parliament,

00:29and so there were no questions asked about why they're not in Delhi.

00:33But even in Chennai, on this particular issue, there has been no TVK-led protest.

00:39There have been protests in other Congress-ruled states or, in fact, in states which have parties that are part

00:46of the India bloc.

00:47The TVK is part of the India bloc, and yet no protest that has taken place in Chennai.

00:51And so that's led to questions about what the TVK stand is on SIR.

00:56Let's be clear that there have been statements from the TVK on SIR, saying they're against it.

01:01But at the same time, on the CEC, no clear statement.

01:05The opposition's demand is the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

01:10In the last few weeks, while we went through all of the statements that have come in from the TVK,

01:14there was condemnation over Rahul Gandhi's detention.

01:17There was, once again, a reiteration of their stand on SIR.

01:20No mention on the demand of the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

01:26So what explains Vijay's Political Balancing Act?

01:30Is it one?

01:31Does the TVK want to ensure that, you know, they sit on the fence on this one and take a

01:37stand on SIR?

01:37Not so much on the CEC.

01:40Remember that the TVK is in alliance with the Congress.

01:43The Congress has kind of been leading the fight over the CEC, against the CEC in Delhi.

01:50And yet, in Tamil Nadu, while there have been protests even by the DMK,

01:54which is no longer a part of the India bloc, there's been none by the TVK so far.

01:58Thank you very much.

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