Why Stop at Padma Bhushan? Give CEC Gyanesh Kumar the Bharat Ratna, Omar Abdullah Takes a Dig at Poll Panel Chief

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday took a sarcastic dig at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, saying that he should be considered for the Bharat Ratna instead of the Padma Bhushan. His remarks came amid an ongoing political dispute over the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and reports of differences within the poll panel.

Speaking to reporters, Abdullah, who is also a senior Jammu and Kashmir National Conference leader, said the Election Commission should undertake some "soul-searching" amid the criticism it has faced from opposition parties. He argued that the opposition's concerns about the poll body had not emerged without reason.

Referring to a report published by The Indian Express, Abdullah said the concerns were not simply based on allegations made by political parties. The report had claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over a 10-month period concerning decisions and orders related to the SIR exercise that they allegedly said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.

When asked about a recent demand that Gyanesh Kumar be considered for the Padma Bhushan, Abdullah responded sarcastically by suggesting a much higher honour. "Why stop at Padma Bhushan? Gyanesh Kumar should be awarded Bharat Ratna or made the country's President," he said, while referring to the upcoming presidential election.

Abdullah further alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner had done a great deal for the BJP and claimed that West Bengal had effectively been "gifted" to the party. His remarks were made in the context of the broader political dispute over the Election Commission and its handling of the electoral-roll revision exercise.

The comments came shortly after West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya publicly praised Gyanesh Kumar and said the CEC deserved the Padma Bhushan "at the very least." Bhattacharya credited the Election Commission with conducting the West Bengal Assembly election without violence and with removing what he described as illegal Bangladeshi voters from the electoral rolls.

Bhattacharya's defence of the CEC came as questions were being raised about the functioning of the Election Commission following reports of objections by two election commissioners over decisions allegedly taken in their names during the SIR process. The Padma Bhushan, meanwhile, is India's third-highest civilian award.

The controversy has also become part of a wider political confrontation between the BJP and opposition parties. Speaking to reporters at Panihati in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, Bhattacharya criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Gyanesh Kumar.

Gandhi has accused the three of undermining India's democratic system and alleged that the electoral process was being compromised. Bhattacharya rejected those allegations and defended the Election Commission's work. The exchange comes as political parties continue to debate the SIR exercise, the preparation of electoral rolls and the transparency of decisions taken by the Election Commission. While opposition leaders have raised questions about the poll panel's functioning, BJP leaders have defended the Commission and rejected allegations of electoral manipulation.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Hindustan Times.