Jammu

INDIA bloc leaders took out a joint 'save democracy' march in Jammu on Wednesday and demanded Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar's removal and arrest, alleging large-scale deletion of names from electoral rolls.

Leaders of the Congress, National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), CPI(M) and other parties participated in the rally. They carried their respective party flags, raised slogans against the CEC, the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and burned Kumar's effigy.

Congress working president Raman Bhalla, NC provincial president Jammu Rattan Lal Gupta, PDP youth vice-president Virender Singh Sonu and CPI(M) leaders led the march.

Bhalla alleged that Kumar had "stolen votes" at the behest of the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and demanded his immediate arrest.

He sought dissolution of Parliament and the assemblies in states where, he alleged, governments were formed after "vote theft", followed by fresh elections.

Gupta said the INDIA bloc was protesting against what he described as "vote theft" and "chanda theft", alleging that democracy in the country was being undermined.

He demanded that electoral rolls from which "crores of voters" had been deleted be prepared afresh to protect the constitutional right to vote.

PDP leader Sonu alleged that 13.60 crore votes had been deleted from electoral rolls and demanded that those responsible be held accountable.

He said the issue had created confusion across the country and that the facts behind the alleged deletions should come out. Sonu said the PDP had also been participating in protests on the issue and asserted that justice should be ensured to voters.

A CPI(M) leader alleged that 13 crore votes had been "stolen".

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The INDIA bloc leaders said their agitation would continue until their demands were addressed.